Nearly a third of the campaign contributions in Tuesday’s election for Superior Court judge come from San Francisco’s legal community. This raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest or bias — or just the appearance of impropriety.
Category: Law & Justice
Posted in2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide, Elections, Law & Justice, Neighborhoods, Public Safety
Proposition R: Creating a ‘Neighborhood Crime Unit’ Within the Police Department
Prop R: This ordinance would direct the Police Department to create a unit focused on making neighborhoods safer and improving quality of life.
Posted in2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide, Elections, Law & Justice, Social Justice
Proposition G: Creating the Department of Police Accountability
This Charter amendment would rename the Office of Citizen Complaints the Department of Police Accountability, which would review use of force and claims of misconduct every two years.
The Board of Supervisors voted 11-0 to put this initiative on the ballot.
Proposition G is linked to Proposition H, which calls for the creation of a “public advocate,” who would have the power to appoint the head of the Department of Police Accountability.
Posted inElections, Housing, Law & Justice, News
Supes Crack Down on Airbnb, Scofflaw Hosts
The Board of Supervisors gave final approval to new rules that would force several thousand residents to register their units or homes or be barred from posting on Airbnb and its competitors.
Posted inCity Hall, Law & Justice, News, Public Safety
Fight Club Charges in S.F. Jail Aren’t New. Remember ‘Gladiator Matches’ of Corcoran Prison?
The case of three San Francisco sheriff’s deputies accused of forcing inmates to fight one another was not the first time sworn officers in California have been accused of inciting violence behind bars.
Posted inCity Hall, Law & Justice, Public Safety
‘Shrimp Boy’ Lawyer Claims Judge Shielded San Francisco Mayor in Corruption Probe
The lead attorney for Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow, the reputed Chinatown gangster who was convicted of murder and a long list of other crimes two weeks ago, is now alleging that a federal trial judge failed to disclose a conflict of interest, and that he downplayed evidence implicating Mayor Ed Lee in a sprawling public corruption investigation.
Posted inImmigration, Law & Justice, Public Safety, San Francisco 2015 Nonpartisan Election Guide
Candidates: Sheriff
Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi is facing two challengers in his bid for re-election: Vicki Hennessy, who spent three decades in the department and served as interim sheriff in 2012 (after Mayor Ed Lee suspended Mirkarimi over a domestic-violence case involving the new sheriff and his wife) and John Robinson, a retired sheriff’s commander.
Posted inCity Hall, Law & Justice, News, Public Safety, Social Justice
Body Cameras Will Not Be Cheap
San Francisco has become the latest of many cities nationwide where leaders are deciding that the benefits of outfitting police with body cameras outweigh the myriad costs.
Posted inElections, Homelessness and Mental Health, Law & Justice, Social Services
Sentencing Reform Side Benefit: Behavioral Health Court Expansion
A state law approved by voters on Election Day will reduce tough sentences for some felonies. But it could also provide a financial windfall to local community courts, which divert people with mental illness out of the criminal justice system. Part of a special report on homelessness and mental health in San Francisco, in the fall 2014 print edition. Stories rolling out online throughout the fall.
Posted inCity Hall, Health, Homelessness, Homelessness and Mental Health, Law & Justice, Public Safety
Q-and-A: Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi on San Francisco Jail System
San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi says that the city’s jails are giving inmates the psychiatric services they cannot get at the major medical centers. Part of a special report on homelessness and mental health in San Francisco, in the fall 2014 print edition. Stories rolling out online throughout the fall.