 He was the only elected public defender in California and runs an office of more than 100 attorneys and 60 staff members, which has a $24 million budget and serves 23,000 clients each year.Because Adachi answers to the voters rather than the mayor, he has used his position to advocate for increased public defender funding, reduction of racial disparities, police and prosecutorial accountability, and criminal justice reform in San Francisco.In February 2011, Adachi appointed Matt Gonzalez chief attorney in the Public Defender's Office.