Office of the Federal Public Defender
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A comprehensive discussion of new Ninth Circuit cases, and of other new legal challenges and ideas, can be found on the Ninth Circuit blog. The Ninth Circuit blog contains Federal Defender Jon Sands' weekly Ninth Circuit summaries, interesting new defense challenges and theories posted by AFPDs David Porter and Steve Sady, and the “Case o’ The Week” memos by Federal Defender Steve Kalar. The Ninth Circuit blog is a useful starting place for the latest developments in federal criminal defense.

To search the Ninth Circuit blog use the white search box next to the orange "B," in the upper left hand corner of the site. Note that many blog entries have been tagged by Judge involved or by subject. Clicking on those tags will pull up all blog entries related to that tag entry.

CJA counsel are encouraged to comment on the blog postings – many new ideas have been fleshed out and enhanced by attorney commentary.

Geoffrey Hansen Appointed as Interim Federal Public Defender for Northern District of California

SAN FRANCISCO — The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has appointed Geoffrey Hansen as interim federal public defender for the Northern District of California, effective March 8, 2021. He will serve in that role until the court fills the vacancy created by outgoing Federal Public Defender Steven G. Kalar, who is not seeking reappointment.

Mr. Hansen worked in the Office of the Federal Public Defender in the Northern District for nearly 40 years, from 1982 to 2020. He was appointed chief assistant of the office in 1988 and served in that position until retiring last April.

“The Court is grateful to Geoff for returning from retirement to serve in this critical role while we conduct a search for the new federal public defender,” said Circuit Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw, who chairs the Ninth Circuit’s Standing Committee on Federal Public Defenders. “He has stepped in before to effectively manage the office during a leadership change, and I know his being at the helm will assure a smooth transition.”

Mr. Hansen received his B.A. from Stanford University in 1974 and his J.D. from the University of California Berkeley School of Law in 1978. He is a former president of the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association of Northern California and has been serving as an adjunct professor of law at the University of California Hastings College of the Law since 1980.

Applications for the federal public defender position in the Northern District of California are being accepted through April 30, 2021. Further information and the application form are available at https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/fpd.

The Office of the Federal Public Defender was created by Congress to fulfill the constitutional requirement that financially eligible individuals charged with crimes in the federal justice system be provided with professional legal representation at no cost. By statute, judges of the courts of appeals select and appoint the federal public defender for a renewable four-year term. In the Ninth Circuit, federal public defender applicants are evaluated by both a local screening committee and the court’s Standing Committee on Federal Public Defenders, applying Equal Employment Opportunity guidelines.

Candis Mitchell