Biography
Ashanti Mitchell is a Deputy State Public Defender in the Capacity Building Unit of the Indigent Defense Improvement Division. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and Georgetown University Law Center. Prior to joining IDID, he was an attorney with the Public Defender’s Office in Santa Clara County for over a decade. As a trial attorney, Mr. Mitchell litigated both juvenile and adult cases.
Mr. Mitchell also helped to successfully launch the first Community Outreach Attorney position in the Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office. In that role, he embedded himself in homeless encampments and helped to establish a network of community-based organizations to address the needs of unhoused persons and reduce their involvement in the criminal legal system. He also worked in schools with students, teachers, and school administrators to prevent suspensions, expulsions and juvenile court involvement.
Mr. Mitchell has also taught at Santa Clara University Law School as a lecturer in Trial Techniques. In his free time, Mr. Mitchell enjoys riding his motorcycle and listening to live music.
