Advisory Board
David Bell (Personal Pronouns: Any and All) has been an Assistant Public Defender with the Sacramento County Office of the Public Defender since 2020. He is the Education Rights Attorney in the Juvenile Division where he works in the collaborative Juvenile Trauma Response Court. Previously, David worked at the Children’s Law Center of California (CLC) where he worked with youth in foster care, including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) youth and Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC). Having worked in the dependency system for over six years, he began his dependency career as parent’s counsel before joining CLC. He has been heavily involved with CSEC issues throughout Los Angeles & Sacramento Counties and worked closely with the Recognize, Intervene, Support, and Empower (RISE) team at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. He was also a member of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services steering committee on LGBTQ issues. David is an adjunct professor at Southwestern Law School. While attending Whittier Law School, David was a law clerk to the Honorable Judge Lance Ito.
Alison Cohen is a founding member of the Cohen Defense Group, Inc., a private criminal defense firm that provides first level conflict defender services for Placer and Nevada counties. She currently supervises the Cohen Defense Group’s Juvenile and Appellate Units for both counties.
Alison completed her undergraduate degree at U.C. Santa Cruz, and her J.D. at Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco, earning certificates in Litigation and Public Interest Law. Admitted to the Bar in 1997, she began her career defending criminal cases with the Placer County conflict firm.
In 2017, Alison and her husband, David Cohen, created the Cohen Defense Group and built it into the largest private criminal defense firm in Placer County. In 2024, they added offices in Nevada County and began providing conflict defender services there. Alison was the primary juvenile delinquency attorney for Placer County conflict cases for 23 years. She sat on the committee that developed Placer County’s competency protocol and continues to work with justice partners to develop policies and procedures beneficial to youth in the delinquency system.
Christopher Hawthorne is the Director of the Juvenile Innocence & Fair Sentencing (JIFS) Clinic at Loyola Law School, the first law school clinic in the country dedicated solely to juvenile post-conviction sentencing and litigation. Together with PJDC board member Maureen Pacheco, Hawthorne started the JIFS Clinic in 2012, shortly before the Supreme Court’s decision in Miller v. Alabama. Students in the JIFS Clinic have successfully litigated matters for over 100 clients, including Miller and Franklin hearings, 1170(d)(2) and 1170.95 hearings, wrongful convictions, appeals and parole hearings. Mr. Hawthorne graduated from Loyola Law School and was an associate in the white collar department at O’Melveny & Myers, until he decided he needed a better class of client. Now he exclusively represents clients in state prison, on appeal or post-conviction, and has done so for nearly two decades. He has taught at Loyola Law School since 2004. Before graduating from law school, he was a television executive and screenwriter for 20 years.
Elly Hoopes is a solo practitioner. She is a panel attorney appointed on Criminal and Dependency matters out of Del Norte, CA Superior Court. Her specialization is youth defense. Elly has practiced juvenile defense for 19 years in Colorado and California. She represents the majority of youths facing delinquency charges out of Del Norte County, CA. Prior to going into private practice in 2021, Elly was Executive Director and Associate General Counsel for the Yurok Tribe, and a Senior Public Defender in Colorado supervising the juvenile division in Douglas County, CO.
Elly was a humanitarian advocate working with local programs in Nepal and Mongolia while designing and leading rigorous travel trips to both regions and Tibet. She is a youth environmental educator for Experience Learning in West Virginia, and currently sits on Trillium Teen Center Board, Del Norte School Attendance Review Board, Steering committee Rural Allied Defenders listserv, and 2023 Rural Justice Fellow. She is the statewide ICWA trainer for the California Public Defenders.
Eric G. Arias is a passionate and skilled Deputy Public Defender with a deep commitment to criminal defense and youth advocacy. As the son of immigrants and raised by a single mother, Eric’s journey is a testament to resilience and dedication. Since January 1, 2022, he has represented both adults and justice-involved youth across a range of complex cases, including felonies and misdemeanors. Known for his compassionate approach and relentless dedication, Eric is driven by a desire to protect the rights of the underserved and marginalized.
As the first in his family to graduate from college, Eric earned his bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies with distinction from California State University, Chico. He went on to achieve his Juris Doctor with distinction from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, concentrating on Trial and Appellate Advocacy. At McGeorge, Eric served as the Managing Editor for the University of the Pacific Law Review, where he developed strong research, writing, and analytical skills that continue to strengthen his advocacy today.
In his role as a Deputy Public Defender, Eric manages a diverse caseload, applying a thorough, client-centered approach to every case. His completion of the Youth Defender Advocacy Program, an intensive training in Washington, DC, underscores his dedication to defending young clients and refining specialized skills in youth advocacy. Eric’s commitment to youth justice reform extends beyond his casework; he actively contributes to the CYDC Legislative Committee, where he collaborates with fellow advocates to influence impactful youth legislation in California.
Outside of his professional life, Eric is passionate about Mexican cuisine, constantly exploring new recipes and flavors. He’s also a Japanese car enthusiast. Eric has built a car that has been entered in car shows, raced, and showcased his love for the car community.
Eric’s professional affiliations and achievements emphasize his commitment to excellence. Known for balancing high standards with empathy and respect, he is a defender of justice, committed to advancing equity and fairness in California’s legal system.
Frank Barone is a Supervising Attorney with the San Diego County Primary Public Defender’s Office. He has practiced criminal defense since 1997 and became a deputy public defender in 1998. He has represented adults and children, as both a trial and appellate attorney. He supervised in his office’s Juvenile Justice Division for nearly ten years. While in that assignment, he supervised a team of attorneys, paralegals, investigators, licensed mental health clinicians, youth & family services coordinators, client advocates, and legal support staff who practice a holistic model of juvenile defense. He led the team representing dual status youth and oversaw the county-wide SB 395 program. He served on the Restorative Community Conferencing Steering Committee, Alternatives to Detention Task Force, TERM Advisory Board, Crossover Youth Practice Model Guiding Coalition Workgroup, County-wide CSEC Steering Committee, and San Pasqual Academy Advisory Board. He was also a voting member of the San Diego County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council. In 2017, he wrote the original draft of AB 529 which expanded record sealing under WIC 786 to include dismissed petitions. He is certified by the Gault Center as a Youth Defender Advocacy Program (YDAP) Trainer. He served on the board of directors of the San Diego County Bar Association and the Public Defenders Association of San Diego County. He was also a co-founder, board member, and president of the San Diego County Public Defender’s Community Outreach Committee. Mr. Barone received a B.A. from the University of California, Irvine and J.D. from California Western School of Law. He shares a son with his wife, who is also an attorney.
Harpreet “Preet” Samra is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker . She has BA from the University of California, Davis as well as a MSW from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. She has spent 19 years as a Social Worker fighting for justice, equality, and equity across various arenas. After receiving her MSW in 2006, she joined Save the Children, where she spent four years as a Senior Program Specialist, focusing her work on the youth of New Orleans post disaster; assisting in creating psychosocial programs that are used all over the world. She moved on to work as a Social Worker with the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights, the organization that acts as the juvenile public defender’s office as well as the hub for juvenile justice in New Orleans, Louisiana. There, she focused on current cases as well as transfer hearings, while also lobbying for juvenile justice reforms throughout the state. She avidly participated in the “Raise the Age” campaign that, in 2016, was able to get legislation to change the age of juvenile court jurisdiction in Louisiana to 18.
In 2018, Preet returned home to California, where she worked for Santa Clara County’s Public Defender’s Office on current juvenile and high-level adult felony cases as well as assisted the post-conviction team with 1170d and Franklin/Youth Offender Parole hearings. In August 2021, Preet transitioned to the role of Head of Social Work for the San Mateo County Bar Association’s Private Defender Program where she spearheaded and leads the Social Work department for what acts as the county’s indigent defense office. She oversees 40 independent contract Social Workes as well as 5 full-time Client Advocates. Beyond her work in indigent defense, Preet has provided training on multiple aspects of Social Work in indigent defense, as well as collaborated with colleagues throughout the nation on best practices and implicit bias. She also sits on the board of Women’s Institute for Equity in Leadership Development (aka WIELD), based in Louisiana, as well as provides LCSW supervision to those looking to be licensed in California.
JoAnna Edwards is the Supervising Attorney of the Juvenile Division of the Fresno County Public Defender’s Office. JoAnna has been with the Public Defender’s Office since 2012. She received her B.A. from U.C. Santa Barbara and her law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law. JoAnna is a certified JTIP trainer with the National Juvenile Defender Center and is one of the JTAP Ambassadors for the Central Valley Regional Training Program. In addition to PJDC’s Advisory Board, she currently sits on the Fresno County Delinquency Executive Committee, Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council, SB 823 DJJ Realignment Subcommittee, Restorative Justice Advisory Board, Probation Phased-Response Plan Subcommittee, Judicial Workgroup Subcommittee and the Human Trafficking Court Steering Committee.
Joni has spent more than half of her 20-year career representing youth in delinquency matters, including youth committed to Contra Costa County’s long-term custodial programs and youth committed to DJJ. Currently, Joni is the manager of the Contra Costa Public Defender Mental Health Unit. Joni serves on the Board of State and Community Corrections, Juvenile Regulations Revision Executive Steering Committee’s SYTF Subcommittee. Joni is a member of PJDC’s Advisory Board and is contributing author to PJDC’s “California Post-Disposition Representation” manual. Joni regularly trains defenders on a variety of topics through PJDC and CPDA, including (until DJJ closure) best practices in representing youth at DJJ. Since enactment of SB 823, Joni has co-led multiple training through PJDC and CPDA on best practices in representing SYTF-committed youth. Joni is a certified Juvenile Training Immersion Program trainer and has continued training attorney throughout the state in issues related to post-disposition representation, SYTFs and competency to stand trial. In 2020, Joni was named PJDC’s Juvenile Defender of the Year.
Mari Dominguez-Ruiz is a staff attorney at the ACLU National Prison Project. Mari focuses on challenging conditions of confinement and disability rights advocacy. Mari graduated from LMU Loyola Law School with a concentration in Public Interest Law. At Loyola, she worked for the Youth Justice Education Clinic advocating for the special education rights of system-involved youth and the Collateral Consequences of Convictions Justice Program helping people with expungement services. Mari graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in English and a minor in Disability Studies. She is fluent in Spanish and English and currently learning American Sign Language.
Megan Low has over 20 years of professional experience in mental health and defense-based social work. Currently, she is the Forensic Social Work Supervisor in the Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Youth Defense Unit, where she provides valuable insight and partnership to the attorneys and works to weave the skills of social work advocacy into the legal defense and support of system-involved youth.
Prior to joining Contra Costa, she was a Senior Forensic Social Worker with the Alameda County Court Appointed Attorneys Program (CAAP), where she sat on the SB823 Sub-Committee and helped develop programming proposals for Alameda County’s SYTF. Megan has worked on over 30 juvenile transfer cases, and supported youth post-disposition at programs including camp, ranch, residential treatment, DJJ, and now SYTF.
Megan has presented trainings on report writing, testifying, trauma-informed interviewing, and boundary setting, and most recently presented at the CYDC Roundtable in September 2025. She has been a member of PJDC since 2016, and is also a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Forensic Mental Health Association of California. She is certified by the National Organization of Forensic Social Work and is a member of the California Defense Social Workers (CDSW) Steering Committee. Megan is an Associate Clinical Social Worker. She earned her B.A. from UC Davis, and her MSW from San Francisco State.
Since graduating from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco in 2007, Lindsey has dedicated her legal career to public service and social justice. From 2008 to 2022 she worked for the Independent Defense Office (IDO) in Santa Clara County representing both adults and juveniles. She also served in an advisory role to the Director of IDO on the effects of, and implementing policy for, California Senate Bills 1437 and 395 and Proposition 57. In 2000 she joined the Juvenile Private Defender Panel in San Mateo County continuing her passion for working with youth. Currently, she works exclusively in juvenile justice in both San Mateo and Sonoma County. She is active with community-based organizations in both Counties helping to develop resources to advance her clients needs.
Ronda Swenson is a private Mitigation Specialist. She holds a MA in Education with a credential in Sociology. She has completed extensive coursework toward a Ph.d. She also possesses a BA in Sociology and has completed hundreds of hours of continuing education training across multiple fields and topics. In addition to the PJDC Advisory Board she is on the NAPD Education Advisory Board and Steering Committees for forensic social work. She has presented on numerous topics throughout the nation. Ronda’s professional experience spans over twenty-six years in criminal defense at the state and federal level focusing on serious felonies and capital cases from pre-trial to post-conviction. She has also worked for over eighteen years as a juvenile dependency social worker and investigator and spent three years with the Northern California Innocence Project. She holds certifications as a paralegal and in forensic social work. In addition to her work in the legal system, she has dedicated over thirty years to teaching modeling and self-esteem skills to both children and adults. Furthermore, she provided foster care to adolescents in her home for twenty years and is a single mother to a daughter.
Roshell Amezcua is the director of Juvenile Justice Clinic (JJC) at Loyola , in which students represent youth clients facing delinquency charges in Los Angeles County Juvenile courts under the supervision of an attorney. In her role, Roshell supervises clinical students performing all client services, including pre and post-disposition representation and preparation. Roshell’s philosophy and representation is rooted in eliminating the presence of government interference and oppression in historically marginalized communities. Roshell seeks to represent youth in a holistic way, focusing on adolescent development, generational trauma rooted in racism, poverty, classism, and ableism, the over policing of historically marginalized communities, and always through the lens that youth and families thrive together.
Prior to joining the JJC as director, Roshell was a supervising attorney in the Family Defense Practice at The Bronx Defenders, a public defender nonprofit that annually represents about 30,000 low-income Bronx residents in criminal, civil, child welfare, and immigration cases. Her role included supervision of incoming law students and experienced attorneys in collaborative training and preparation for all appearances, case conferencing, client management, and caseload management. As a Supervising Family Defense attorney, Roshell represented parents charged with abuse or neglect, focusing on keeping families together. Roshell also served as the family defense and immigration counsel, developing and conducting trainings across New York State on Padilla-like consequences of dependency proceedings. She also served as a mentor for interns and attorneys of color.
Prior to The Bronx Defenders, Roshell interned at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office and was a post-bar law clerk at the Orange County Public Defender’s Office, Appellate Division. Outside of the courtroom, Amezcua has shared her expertise as a speaker at Loyola’s Journalist Law School, the ABA National Conference on Parent Representation, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association and PLI’s Children’s Law Institute.
Born and raised in Santa Ana, California, Roshell (she/her/hers) identifies as a cis-gendered, 2nd generation Mexican, mom, partner, sister, and daughter.
A graduate of UC Law San Francisco, Sara Elturk has spent her fifteen year career in the Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office representing clients in Santa Maria and Lompoc. After working in the Criminal Courts for over eight years she was assigned to her office’s Youth Defender Division in 2018 where she found a true passion for working with children and young adults caught up in the system. In her role on the Advisory Board she hopes to tap into this experience to help other defenders around the state and continue to learn from other CYDC members whose knowledge has been invaluable to her work in the Juvenile Court.
Sarah Beth has worked in San Bernardino’s Juvenile Division since 2022 and with the Public Defender’s Office since 2019. Currently, Sarah Beth maintains a full juvenile delinquency caseload, including youth facing transfer to criminal court. Sarah Beth also represents all youth housed at San Bernardino’s Secure Youth Treatment Facility. She is passionate about juvenile defense and has taught and presented on juvenile delinquency matters at University of La Verne and University of La Verne College of Law. Additionally, Sarah Beth has assisted in drafting proposed legislation related to Secure Youth Treatment Facilities through CYDC. Sarah Beth earned her J.D. from William and Mary Law School and her B.A. from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. In April 2024, Sarah Beth received the 2024 Children’s Network Shine a Light Award for outstanding dedication and tireless efforts on behalf of at-risk children in San Bernardino County.
Shelan Joseph currently serves as Special Counsel to Los Angeles County Public Defender Ricardo García, where she provides legal and policy guidance on matters that shape the county’s defense practice and justice reform efforts. With more than 26 years of experience as a public defender, she has built a career centered on protecting due process, advancing racial justice, and creating pathways for second chances.
Her work has spanned some of the most challenging areas of the justice system, including death penalty litigation, juvenile justice, and legislative reform. She has been instrumental in designing and implementing diversion and reentry programs, building collaborations between public defenders, social workers, and community organizations to better serve system-involved youth and adults. Her efforts have also influenced statewide policies through her service on legislative committees, advisory groups, and task forces dedicated to equity and systemic reform.
Shelan is widely recognized as a trusted advisor and advocate who blends legal expertise with a deep commitment to fairness and human dignity. Whether in the courtroom, in policy circles, or in community partnerships, she brings strategic insight and unwavering dedication to transforming the criminal legal system into one that is more just, humane, and effective.
Stephen has worked as an assistant public defender in Sacramento for more than 8 years and has spent half of that time as a juvenile defender. Currently, Stephen represents clients committed to and discharged from Sacramento’s secure youth treatment facility, as well as clients facing transfer to criminal court. Stephen also works on juvenile competency issues and served on Sacramento County’s Juvenile Competency Protocol Committee. Stephen earned his J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis and his B.A. from Stanford University.