Category: Law & Justice
Posted inCity Hall, Elections, Law & Justice

Q&A: Candidates for San Francisco district attorney

by Rina Palta

First interview is with Bill Fazio

One of the more important and most overlooked races in San Francisco is the campaign to be the city’s next district attorney. When Kamala Harris left the post for state office last year, outgoing Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed then-Police Chief George Gascon to take her place. Now, Gascon is running for a full four-year term, but faces stiff competition from four other candidates. We’ll be posting interviews with all five of the candidates for district attorney this week. First up: Bill Fazio, a longtime prosecutor and defense attorney who grew up in San Francisco.

Posted inEnvironment, Government & Politics, Law & Justice

Governor signs bills to ban open carry of handguns, shark fin sales

by Jerold Chinn and Richard Pestorich

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed bills to make it illegal to openly carry handguns and to ban the sale and possession of shark fins in California. The shark fin bill goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2013 while the open carry ban begins Jan 1, 2012. The shark bill has been a controversial topic in the past few months, with state Sen. Leland Yee, who is running for San Francisco mayor, calling the ban “insensitive to the Chinese culture” when the bill was introduced by Assemblyman Paul Fong in February.

Posted inCalifornia, City Hall, Law & Justice, News

San Francisco works to prevent ex-convicts from re-offending in city

by T.J. Johnston
San Francisco is preparing for the October release of state prisoners to the custody of local governments by forming a commission to prevent them from re-offending. Currently about three-quarters of ex-convicts in the city commit new crimes.

Supervisors Scott Wiener and Malia Cohen Tuesday introduced an ordinance to establish a sentencing commission in hopes of reducing recidivism. The commission would be led by District Attorney George Gascón and would include representatives from the police and sheriff’s departments, public defender’s office, nonprofits serving victims and ex-prisoners, among others. 

Posted inLaw & Justice, Neighborhoods

Book recalls immigrants who passed through Angel Island

by Monica Jensen

To commemorate the centennial of the Angel Island Immigration Station, authors Erika Lee and Judy Yung shed light on the thousands of immigrants who passed through the “Guardian of the Western Gate” in their recently released book “Angel Island: Gateway to America.”

While more than 70 percent of detainees were from China, others came from Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Russia, Mexico and more than 70 other countries, a finding they discovered while examining hundreds of documents that were made public in the National Archives’ collection in San Bruno in the 1990s.

Posted inLaw & Justice, Social Justice, Social Services

Former women prisoners face longer odds staying out after aid programs slashed

by Mineko Brand

Rehabilitation taking backseat to punishment

By the time Sunshine Schmidt was 19, her rebellious streak led her to prison in Wisconsin for violating probation on a forgery charge. But it was just the beginning of her troubled young adulthood. As she tells it, the uncaring reaction from a criminal justice system on autopilot put her back in prison for minor violations, only driving her further into the life of small-time crime as she racked up drug and theft-related charges.

“Every time, I was released back into homelessness or an abusive partner,” she said. “I didn’t have the resources or tools to get back on my feet.”

It was only three years ago, after leaving a California prison at age 27, that Schmidt was able to pursue legitimate jobs and an education. After living in transitional housing, she became a client of Way-Pass, a City College of San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that helps female ex-prison inmates adjust to everyday life.

Posted inLaw & Justice, LGBTQ+

Judge and media navigate claims of gay bias

by Kristine Magnuson

Same-sex marriage appeal puts spotlight on personal lives of those judging — and reporting on — the issue

Same-sex marriage opponents complained that U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker — who this summer overturned Proposition 8, a 2008 state constitutional amendment banning the practice — should have recused himself because he is gay (a suggestion Walker has declined to discuss). Walker’s sexual orientation will be front and center in arguments before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday.

This puts journalists, too, in a funny position. Who will believe a gay reporter covering the question about whether a gay judge should be disqualified?

Posted inEducation, Government & Politics, Labor, Law & Justice, Social Justice

State audit: local agencies not providing efficient bilingual services

by Jerold Chinn

A state audit released Thursday revealed that many local agencies are not providing proper bilingual service called for in the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act, passed 37 years ago. The audit says agencies need to improve services by providing more staff who are bilingual and translated written materials.

Posted inLaw & Justice, LGBTQ+

Prop. 8 backers criticize judge in appeal briefs

by Kristine Magnuson

The task facing the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is determining who — if anyone — has the standing to appeal last month’s ruling overturning Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage in California. Both the original backers of the initiative and Imperial County are seeking that status in briefs filed last week. A three-judge panel of the court will hear arguments in December.

Posted inElections, Law & Justice, LGBTQ+

Prop. 8 backers file appeal, want stay against weddings left in place

by Kristine Magnuson

Backers of Proposition 8 have filed an appeal to keep a stay in force to prevent gay marriages from resuming. Federal Judge Vaughn Walker earlier ruled the measure unconstitutional and has placed a stay on same-sex marriages that is set to expire on Wednesday. Late Thursday backers of the measure filed their appeal with the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Posted inCity Hall, Elections, Law & Justice, LGBTQ+

Judge says same-sex marriages can resume on Aug. 18

by Kristine Magnuson

A federal judge ruled Thursday that same-sex couples will be able to marry on Aug. 18 at 5 p.m. The ruling could be reversed if opponents of gay marriage appeal the decision to the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. The decision will lift the stay that last week he placed on his own judgement that a statewide ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. On Thursday morning scores of people gathered on the front steps of San Francisco City Hall to mark the occasion, with some same-sex couples hoping to get married on the spot if the stay were lifted immediately. There were also supporters of Proposition 8, the initiative that ended gay marriage in 2008. (READ THE RULING BY JUDGE VAUGHN R. WALKER — PDF)

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