Following a failed effort to recall San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin on the November ballot, the organization “Safer SF Without Boudin” began a new recall effort on Monday. The San Francisco Examiner reports, the Democratic-led organization has already collected 83,487 signatures from San Francisco voters who want to recall Boudin, much more than the 30,000 required to appear on the ballot in June 2022.
Boudin, the son of domestic terrorists, was a deputy public defense attorney for the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office. He was elected as DA in 2020 after a close race with former interim district attorney Suzy Loftus. Boudin ran on a platform of progressive measures such as eliminating cash bail, lowering pretrial detention, repealing the three-strikes rule, and establishing a restorative justice program.
However, since taking office, he has faced mounting criticism, mainly from the San Francisco Police Officers Association, who accuse him of being soft on repeat offenders.
Andrea Shorter, a former commissioner with the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women and “Safer SF Without Boudin” member, said that “to create a safer San Francisco, a safer future for San Franciscans, we need a DA that is focused on public safety rather than policies that come at the expense of the safety of our communities.”
Shorter also stated, “Chesa’s actions as DA are unacceptable. San Francisco needs a DA who is focused on prioritizing the public’s safety, of residents and visitors.”
Brooke Jenkins, a former Assistant District Attorney who recently resigned, is volunteering on the new recall effort.
Jenkins’ relative, 18-year-old Jerome Mallory, was shot and killed in the city’s Bayview district in July 2020. She claims that while the suspect was charged with murder with a gang enhancement, the gang enhancement was “dismissed without explanation in less than 30 days.”
Jenkins also said that “Chesa touted that his position on using gang charges or enhancements was designed to benefit the black and brown communities, and in actuality, as you can see here, it’s having the opposite effect.”
In a separate case that Jenkins was prosecuting, Boudin consented to a request from a public defender to enable the defendant to enter an insanity plea without consulting her. “These are just two examples of how Chesa’s radical approach is affecting the residents of San Francisco and ultimately public safety.”
She continued, “he allows public defenders and his former colleagues to simply contact him directly in order to achieve the result that they desire for their client, rather than what’s best for both the victim and the defendant.”
Additionally, Jenkins explained, “My decision to resign was the result of a growing belief that Chesa Boudin lacks the desire and willingness to prosecute crime effectively in San Francisco. His approach has been extreme and radical, and as a result, we’ve seen crime increase, justice wane, and lives be lost.”
Another former prosecutor, Don du Bain, recently resigned after seven years with the District Attorney’s office. He stated:
“During this last year and a half, I would say I lost my confidence in Chesa Boudin to serve as our elected district attorney because I’ve concluded that he selectively enforces laws in the state of California, according to his own political priorities and his own concern about public perception rather than executing or applying the laws fairly, uniformly, and across the board for all residents and visitors of San Francisco.”
In response to the new recall effort, a group called Stand with Chesa organized a “Reject the Recall” rally. They claim that the recall is led by Republicans and highlight the idea that San Franciscans should be focused on public health and economic recovery following the pandemic.
The second recall attempt comes as San Francisco residents turn to private security firms following an uptick in break-ins and burglaries. In recent months, the city has also dealt with an explosion of organized retail theft, leading to the closure of several stores that carry everyday necessities.
