Amid attorney shortage, Alameda County program ensuring defendants get represented in court sees leadership shakeup

"Andrea Zambrana no longer leads the Court Appointed Attorneys Program, the Alameda County Bar Association's leaders confirmed this week. The program, which is administered by the bar association, pays for private attorneys to represent defendants who cannot be represented by the Alameda County Public Defender's Office due to conflicts of interest. The change was first announced in an internal email obtained by this news organization to several members of the program on Sept. 10."

"Her former duties are expected to be split between three people. Longtime East Bay attorney Annie Beles whose father was a founding member of the program was named interim director and began working in that role within the past week. She will share leadership duties with Cynthia Chandler, the bar association's chief operating officer, and Hadassah Hayashi, the association's CEO."

"The shakeup comes amid a monthslong shortage that left defendants waiting for weeks to get representation prompting some defendants to openly complain to judges about the delays at their hearings, and at least one person to accept a jail sentence without first speaking to an attorney. The situation became so problematic that the ACLU of Northern California sent a letter to Alameda County Superior Court Presiding Judge Thomas Nixon earlier this year demanding changes, while decrying a clear violation of constitutional rights, exacerbating the cycle of incarceration and injustice."

The Court Appointed Attorneys Program in Alameda County has a change in leadership, with Andrea Zambrana no longer leading the program. The program is administered by the Alameda County Bar Association and pays for private attorneys when the public defender has conflicts of interest. The leadership change was announced in an internal email on Sept. 10, and the bar association did not say whether Zambrana was forced out; she declined to comment via text. Duties will be split among Annie Beles, Cynthia Chandler, and Hadassah Hayashi. A monthslong attorney shortage left defendants waiting weeks at Santa Rita Jail, prompted courtroom complaints, and drew an ACLU letter to Judge Thomas Nixon alleging constitutional violations. In one case, a 48-year-old San Leandro man showed up to court four times from June 4 through July 8.

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