Brooke Jenkins Is San Francisco’s New District Attorney – Opinion

Just four weeks after San Francisco voters recalled District Attorney Chesa Bodin, Mayor London Breed appointed him as his replacement.

NBC News Reports:

“After a long process, which included several meetings with community members, business owners, and attorneys, I am confident that there is no one better to serve as District Attorney than Brooke Jenkins. She is someone who has the necessary experience to lead this department and from personal experience, understands both sides of the criminal justice system,” said Mayor Breed.

Jenkins is a former San Francisco prosecutor, who had praised some of DA Boudin’s reforms initially, but ultimately resigned from his office in protest and immediately joined the campaign to recall him earlier this year.

Jenkins accused Boudin of cutting out prosecutors’ discretion in many cases and said his attempts at reform simply didn’t work.

“As your next district attorney, I will restore accountability and consequences to our criminal justice system here in San Francisco,” said Jenkins.

The Shades of Los Angeles County D.D.A. Jonathan Hatami, who publicly criticized L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón, sued Gascón for harassment, and joined the efforts to recall Gascón.

The organizers of the Gascón Recall report that they have exceeded the number of signatures needed for verification in order to place the recall on the November ballot. The possibility is strong that Gascón and Boudin will share the same fate.

George Gascón: “The day that you don’t think I’m doing my job I’ll leave and you can find somebody else.”

👇🏽LA’s people have spoken.
LEAVE pic.twitter.com/XtQoCubnVi

— jonathanhatami (@jonathanhatami) July 8, 2022

Jenkins’ appointment as a mayoral office means that Jenkins must file the paperwork required by San Francisco Department of Elections for the November ballot. Once that is done, it will be up to the voters whether Jenkins will finish the remainder of Boudin’s term through 2023.

Civil Rights attorney and longtime San Francisco resident Harmeet Dhillon is cautiously optimistic that Jenkins…

“[W]ill turn the San Francisco D.A.’s office back in the direction of prosecuting criminals and protecting citizens. It certainly can’t get any worse than the reign of terror we’ve been living under for the last several years.”

“I used to walk to work every day — no more. Brooke Jenkins was brave when she quit her job to run against Boudin. I wish her all success in her new position — relief cannot come quickly enough for San Francisco’s beleaguered law-abiding citizens.”

https://t.co/Rc6xt5duu2

— Jennifer Oliver O’Connell (@asthegirlturns) July 8, 2022