our next speaker is jose verala. i'm very pleased to announce that he was just sworn in as a public defender. he is also the newly sworn in and elected president to have california public defender's association which is the largest statewide, about 4,000 members. jose? [applause] >> thank you very much. on behalf of the over 4,000 members over the california public defenders office i want to thank you for being here. it is an honor to see so many people here whose lives are dedicated to making the lives of other people better. at the california public defender's office, it is a 40-year old organization that has grown from a small unit into now one of the most powerful lobbying organizations in the country. we fight for justice in legislative committees and we fight for justice in making sure that attorneys are trained well and have the competencey to deliver the kind of services that people who don't have the ability to afford council have council that are as prepared as anyone else. it is with great pride that we se