As he steps down after serving 11 years as Marin County’s public defender, Jose Varela can take pride in his tireless advocacy for justice, fairness and reforms.
He was able to make headway while working within the system.
That’s not to say Varela was a go-along type of bureaucrat.
When he saw a wrong or a need for reform, Varela spoke out — firmly and convincingly.
He picked his battles. He also won many — both inside and outside of the courthouse and the Civic Center bureaucracy — by building a foundation of community awareness.
Varela, 64, is retiring this month, ending his 31-year career as a defender of those who cannot afford private legal representation, but still deserve their constitutional right to fair treatment.
In Marin, that means heading an office with the equivalent of 37 full-time employees.
Valera joined the Marin public defender’s office in 2001. He was promoted to lead the department in 2010.
He has been a thoughtful champion of the county’s advances in alternative courts and sentences — those that focus on addressing the causes of criminal missteps — substance abuse, homelessness, mental illness and intellectual disabilities — not just how long defendants should be locked up.
He’s been a force in making sure that restorative justice is more than just a slogan, but a principle that is put to effective practice in Marin’s criminal justice system.
Varela’s active support has helped make it work in Marin courts, at the same time reducing trials, reducing jail and prison sentences and, hopefully, turning defendants’ lives around.
That success is the best argument when questioned by the judges, prosecutors and the public.
He not only garnered respect, but he also treated others with respect.
Marin Voice: Read Varela’s IJ op-eds
His marching orders to his department — a drum beat to which he himself has marched — was echoed in a recent description of Varela by Deputy Public Defender Bryna Holland.
“When it comes to helping a client, there is no task too small, no case too incidental,” she said.
Varela also was no shrinking violet. He took to the public pulpit, often on the pages of the Marin Independent Journal Opinion section, to speak out about racial and economic inequities and the need for change, both in policy and public perception.
Looking back on his career of advocating for those who can’t afford private defense lawyers, that legacy is worthy of pride and respect. His 11 years of leadership in our community has made a difference.
