As District Attorney, I will prosecute serious crimes with an eye toward rehabilitation if feasible, but with a mindfulness that society must be protected from violent offenders.
I will use the Three Strikes Law to maximize the commitment of violent offenders. But, I will not use it to leverage a plea, or when the new offense is a nonviolent offense.
With 20 years experience as a San Francisco prosecutor and more than 15 years as a defense attorney, I have unique insight and experience. As your District Attorney, I am committed to giving the people of San Francisco a balanced approach to the administration of criminal justice that reflects their values.
I have handled nearly a dozen capital cases as both a prosecutor and as a defense attorney. Because of these experiences, I vow to never seek the death penalty. It is unfair, ineffective, prohibitively expensive and illusory.
The Death Penalty serves no purpose and provides no solace to anyone, including the victims’ family.
Currently, in California, 716 people await their fate on Death Row. This costs hardworking taxpayers $184 million per year more than it would cost to give these prisoners life without the possibility of parole. If the State were to execute a prisoner a month, it would take more than 58 years.
The incumbent considers the Death Penalty a feasible option, and maintains a Death Penalty Committee to determine if cases should be tried as a capital offense. In this era of shrinking budgetary resources, this practice is simply a waste of money.
Life without the possibility of parole guarantees the killer will die in prison. It is the most appropriate punishment in the most serious cases.
Juvenile Justice is the one area where we can make real changes and turn the lives of young offenders around to become productive members of society. I am the only candidate who has appeared at juvenile hall as both a prosecutor and as a defense attorney.
I personally know of the tragedy of “juvy†and the life altering impact once young offenders get into “the systemâ€. I vow to provide the attention and support to the juvenile division that has for far too long been neglected.
I am committed to working with the community, juvenile probation department and the school system to overhaul the juvenile division to better provide for the integration of the minors back into society.
Restorative justice is a concept that dates back to the earliest stages of human civilization. My approach as your District Attorney will focus on “restoring†the victim to their condition before they were victimized, as well as providing rehabilitation and education for the offender.
I believe that educational outreach to the students in schools of San Francisco will go far to keep youth out of the system.
I will implement the “Legal Lives†program which brings young students and Assistant District Attorneys together in the classroom. Providing mentoring and interaction in a classroom setting gives rise to opportunities for mutual respect and understanding.
The program aims to instill better understanding of, and deeper respect for, the legal system in San Francisco’s youth, and also gives ADAs direct exposure to issues affecting the diverse communities of San Francisco.
In these challenging fiscal times, it’s important to evaluate existing resources, and maximize their use. With this in mind, I will assign an Assistant District Attorney to each of the ten district police stations.
The ADA so assigned will act as an “ombudsman†in identifying and resolving problems and issues with the police and with the community. The ADA will attend community meetings and act as a resource person, intermediary and advocate for the members of the community. The ADA will also work to resolve those all too many minor problems that take on major significance between the police and the prosecutor’s office.
