Chief Attorney Matt Gonzalez argued in court that the judge has no authority to order the Public Defender’s Office to take on more felony cases, warning such an order would violate attorneys’ limits and clients’ constitutional rights.

A Yolo County Superior Court hearing was postponed due to the need for a Russian interpreter for the defendant, highlighting the importance of language access in the justice system.

The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office argued that it does not have the capacity to take on additional felony cases due to excessive caseloads, and warned that any court order compelling it to do so would undermine supervision and risk constitutional violations.

The defense argued that the late disclosure of critical evidence in an eight-year-old DUI case violated the accused’s right to a speedy and fair trial, but the judge denied the motion to dismiss, citing the accused’s multiple bench warrants and participation in a diversion program.