John Abrahams, retired chief Sonoma County public defender, dies at 71

John Abrahams knew a lot about everything, whether the topic was the criminal law which he so vigorously practiced, Civil War battles or the latest fashions.

The Falstaffian figure’s encyclopedic knowledge coupled with his dry wit served him well as he rose through the ranks of the Sonoma County Public Defender’s Office to become its leader from 2005 to 2012.

In retirement, Abrahams maintained an interest in all things legal, providing counsel to colleagues and keeping tabs on legislation while quietly nursing what turned out to be a fatal health condition.

The Windsor resident died Sunday of complications from kidney disease. He was 71.

“You could say he had a wide range,” said longtime friend and fellow defense attorney, Geoffrey Dunham. “He was educated without being annoyingly intellectual. It made him good company as well as a good lawyer.”

His most enduring achievement was the creation of Sonoma County’s drug court, one of the first of its kind in the state. Abrahams, Judge Robert Dale and then-prosecutor Mike Mullins devised the special court in 1996 to bring treatment to drug-addicted defendants crowding the county jail and state prisons. He was recognized for his work last year in a 20th anniversary ceremony.

“John believed it could save people’s lives,” said Kathleen Pozzi, his successor as the county’s lead public defender. “That was his No. 1 interest.”

His wife of 29 years, Brenda Abrahams, said he was driven by compassion for the downtrodden. He worked briefly as a prosecutor but found his true calling in helping people who could not afford their own lawyer.

An ink drawing given to him by a friend at his retirement party is inscribed with the motto, “Reasonable doubt at a reasonable price.”

“He just had it for the underdog,” said his wife. “He had a belief in the system and that everyone has a right to representation.”

Abrahams was born in 1946 in Los Angeles and raised by his adoptive parents in San Francisco. He went to San Francisco State University and managed a Sausalito restaurant before attending Empire College School of Law in the early 1980s.

Before getting a job as a deputy public defender, he was a law clerk in the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office and a private lawyer.

Dunham, who hired him early on, said Abrahams displayed a knack for politics that helped him get to the top.

“He was a very bright and funny guy,” Dunham said. “I hoped he would have had a long and happy retirement. I guess it was not to be. He left a good mark.”

In addition to his wife, Abrahams is survived by his daughter, Holly Abrahams, of Mill Valley.

At his request, there will be no funeral services.

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 707-568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne.