Christina Campodonico

Sophie Bearman

His first name <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/09/us/from-a-radical-background-a-rhodes-scholar-emerges.html" target="_blank">is Swahili for “dancing feet</a>,” and his last name sounds like he’s the heir to a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://boudinbakery.com/" target="_blank">famous San Francisco sourdough baking empire</a>—but <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/heatherknight/article/SF-D-A-candidate-knows-pain-of-prison-His-14444513.php" target="_blank">he is not</a>.

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His first name <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/09/us/from-a-radical-background-a-rhodes-scholar-emerges.html" target="_blank">is Swahili for “dancing feet</a>,” and his last name sounds like he’s the heir to a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://boudinbakery.com/" target="_blank">famous San Francisco sourdough baking empire</a>—but <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/heatherknight/article/SF-D-A-candidate-knows-pain-of-prison-His-14444513.php" target="_blank">he is not</a>.

Chesa Boudin is <a href="https://www.sfdistrictattorney.org/about-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">San Francisco’s District Attorney</a>, and currently <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/culture/article/On-Clubhouse-a-conversation-about-the-future-15886586.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the most talked-about lawyer in the city</a>.

Chesa Boudin is <a href="https://www.sfdistrictattorney.org/about-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">San Francisco’s District Attorney</a>, and currently <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/culture/article/On-Clubhouse-a-conversation-about-the-future-15886586.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the most talked-about lawyer in the city</a>.

The staunchly progressive District Attorney has recently come under fire for <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Fatal-hit-and-run-DA-Boudin-charges-suspect-15845917.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">his office’s handling</a> of a parolee accused of killing two pedestrians during <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Two-pedestrians-killed-in-hit-and-run-in-S-F-s-15839481.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a deadly hit-and-run</a> in SoMa on New Year’s Eve. <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Editorial-A-horrific-crime-undercuts-progressive-15857547.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Critics</a> say that Boudin should have done more to keep the allegedly intoxicated driver off the streets. Meanwhile, Boudin has pointed to <a href="https://abc7news.com/chesa-boudin-san-francisco-district-attorney-parolee-suspected-of-hit-and-run-deadly/9351509/">systemic failures</a> and miscommunications between law enforcement agencies as the cause of the tragedy.&nbsp;

The staunchly progressive District Attorney has recently come under fire for <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Fatal-hit-and-run-DA-Boudin-charges-suspect-15845917.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">his office’s handling</a> of a parolee accused of killing two pedestrians during <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Two-pedestrians-killed-in-hit-and-run-in-S-F-s-15839481.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a deadly hit-and-run</a> in SoMa on New Year’s Eve. <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Editorial-A-horrific-crime-undercuts-progressive-15857547.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Critics</a> say that Boudin should have done more to keep the allegedly intoxicated driver off the streets. Meanwhile, Boudin has pointed to <a href="https://abc7news.com/chesa-boudin-san-francisco-district-attorney-parolee-suspected-of-hit-and-run-deadly/9351509/">systemic failures</a> and miscommunications between law enforcement agencies as the cause of the tragedy.&nbsp;

Still, some are going as far as calling for Boudin’s <a href="https://www.change.org/p/petition-calling-for-sfda-chesa-boudin-to-resign" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">resignation</a>. Here’s a primer on Boudin.

Still, some are going as far as calling for Boudin’s <a href="https://www.change.org/p/petition-calling-for-sfda-chesa-boudin-to-resign" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">resignation</a>. Here’s a primer on Boudin.

Riding the Wave of Progressive Prosecution to San Francisco’s DA Office

Riding the Wave of Progressive Prosecution to San Francisco’s DA Office

Boudin was elected DA in November 2019, defeating Mayor Breed-appointed Interim District Attorney <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/heatherknight/article/From-car-break-ins-to-meth-possession-interim-DA-14803848.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Suzy Loftus</a> by <a href="https://patch.com/california/san-francisco/chesa-boudin-claims-victory-sf-district-attorney-race" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a razor-thin margin</a> in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z2fRPRkWvY" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ranked choice voting</a> contest.&nbsp;

Boudin was elected DA in November 2019, defeating Mayor Breed-appointed Interim District Attorney <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/heatherknight/article/From-car-break-ins-to-meth-possession-interim-DA-14803848.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Suzy Loftus</a> by <a href="https://patch.com/california/san-francisco/chesa-boudin-claims-victory-sf-district-attorney-race" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a razor-thin margin</a> in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z2fRPRkWvY" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ranked choice voting</a> contest.&nbsp;

Boudin, previously a public defender, campaigned on a progressive, anti-incarceration platform which promised the creation of a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200101141322/https://www.chesaboudin.com/wrongful_convictions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wrongful Convictions Unit</a>, an Innocence Commission and the abolishment of cash bail, which he <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/San-Francisco-DA-Chesa-Boudin-ends-cash-bail-for-14996400.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">actually eliminated</a> for all criminal cases in January 2020. (Boudin’s office <a href="https://www.sfdistrictattorney.org/press-release/formation-of-post-conviction-unit-and-innocence-commission/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a> the creation of a Post-Conviction Unit to work in concert with an all-volunteer Innocence Commission last September.)

Boudin, previously a public defender, campaigned on a progressive, anti-incarceration platform which promised the creation of a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200101141322/https://www.chesaboudin.com/wrongful_convictions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wrongful Convictions Unit</a>, an Innocence Commission and the abolishment of cash bail, which he <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/San-Francisco-DA-Chesa-Boudin-ends-cash-bail-for-14996400.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">actually eliminated</a> for all criminal cases in January 2020. (Boudin’s office <a href="https://www.sfdistrictattorney.org/press-release/formation-of-post-conviction-unit-and-innocence-commission/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a> the creation of a Post-Conviction Unit to work in concert with an all-volunteer Innocence Commission last September.)

Boudin’s election as San Francisco DA “generally panicked” the democratic establishment in San Francisco, according to KQED Political Breakdown podcast host Scott Shafer, who <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11786680/chesa-boudin-on-his-district-attorney-victory-parents-incarceration-and-travels-in-south-america" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interviewed Boudin</a> with his co-host Marisa Lagos shortly after Boudin’s election. “Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, Dianne Feinstein, they all lined up behind Suzy Loftus, and Chesa Boudin won in spite of or maybe because of that,” said Shafer on the podcast. The San Francisco Police Officers Association spent <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/sf-police-union-mailers-attack-da-candidate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">over $600,000 </a>on <a href="https://youtu.be/09f60G0JObY" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">negative campaign ads</a> targeting Boudin.&nbsp;

Boudin’s election as San Francisco DA “generally panicked” the democratic establishment in San Francisco, according to KQED Political Breakdown podcast host Scott Shafer, who <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11786680/chesa-boudin-on-his-district-attorney-victory-parents-incarceration-and-travels-in-south-america" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interviewed Boudin</a> with his co-host Marisa Lagos shortly after Boudin’s election. “Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, Dianne Feinstein, they all lined up behind Suzy Loftus, and Chesa Boudin won in spite of or maybe because of that,” said Shafer on the podcast. The San Francisco Police Officers Association spent <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/sf-police-union-mailers-attack-da-candidate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">over $600,000 </a>on <a href="https://youtu.be/09f60G0JObY" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">negative campaign ads</a> targeting Boudin.&nbsp;

Boudin, in turn, received the blessing of Vermont senator and self-described democratic socialist Bernie Sanders.

Boudin, in turn, received the blessing of Vermont senator and self-described democratic socialist Bernie Sanders.

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<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://twitter.com/berniesanders/status/1188923917060182016?lang=en
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">I’m proud to endorse <a href="https://twitter.com/chesaboudin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chesaboudin</a> to be San Francisco&#39;s next District Attorney. In America today we have a broken criminal justice system that criminalizes poverty, perpetuates institutionalized racism, and continues a failed war on drugs that has devastated communities of color.&mdash; Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) <a href="https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/1188923917060182016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

With his win, Boudin joined a slate of “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/23/us-justice-system-progressive-prosecutors-mass-incarceration-death-penalty" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">progressive prosecutors</a>” throughout the country who, in recent years, have run and won on progressive agendas to reform the criminal justice system through policies such as rolling back mass incarceration, ending cash bail and eradicating the death penalty. He is the first San Francisco District Attorney <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11848521/in-first-for-sf-district-attorney-chesa-boudin-charges-former-police-officer-with-homicide" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">to charge an alum of the SFPD</a> with homicide in a use-of-force case and he peppered 2020 <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11851787/obligation-to-seek-justice-sf-da-chesa-boudin-wraps-up-first-year-with-round-of-charges-against-officers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">with a series of charges</a> against current and former city police officers. Boudin has also gained attention for <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/In-policy-shift-Boudin-seeks-to-clear-case-15839376.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">employing grand juries </a>to help clear a backlog of thousands of idling cases and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/04/09/829955754/son-of-60s-radicals-is-the-new-d-a-in-san-francisco-facing-the-covid-19-crisis#:~:text=Chesa%20Boudin%20is%20now%20one,economic%20inequities%20in%20the%20system." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reducing the city’s prison population </a>during the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;

With his win, Boudin joined a slate of “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/23/us-justice-system-progressive-prosecutors-mass-incarceration-death-penalty" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">progressive prosecutors</a>” throughout the country who, in recent years, have run and won on progressive agendas to reform the criminal justice system through policies such as rolling back mass incarceration, ending cash bail and eradicating the death penalty. He is the first San Francisco District Attorney <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11848521/in-first-for-sf-district-attorney-chesa-boudin-charges-former-police-officer-with-homicide" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">to charge an alum of the SFPD</a> with homicide in a use-of-force case and he peppered 2020 <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11851787/obligation-to-seek-justice-sf-da-chesa-boudin-wraps-up-first-year-with-round-of-charges-against-officers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">with a series of charges</a> against current and former city police officers. Boudin has also gained attention for <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/In-policy-shift-Boudin-seeks-to-clear-case-15839376.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">employing grand juries </a>to help clear a backlog of thousands of idling cases and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/04/09/829955754/son-of-60s-radicals-is-the-new-d-a-in-san-francisco-facing-the-covid-19-crisis#:~:text=Chesa%20Boudin%20is%20now%20one,economic%20inequities%20in%20the%20system." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reducing the city’s prison population </a>during the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A Colorful Life &amp; Hugo Chavez Connection

A Colorful Life &amp; Hugo Chavez Connection

Before taking control of the DA’s office, Boudin had a far from average education and upbringing. The son of four Weather Underground-affiliated parents, Boudin studied at Yale, then Oxford (where he was a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/09/us/from-a-radical-background-a-rhodes-scholar-emerges.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rhodes scholar</a>), and returned to Yale for his law degree.&nbsp;

Before taking control of the DA’s office, Boudin had a far from average education and upbringing. The son of four Weather Underground-affiliated parents, Boudin studied at Yale, then Oxford (where he was a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/09/us/from-a-radical-background-a-rhodes-scholar-emerges.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rhodes scholar</a>), and returned to Yale for his law degree.&nbsp;

Boudin was just 14 months old when his parents—Weather Underground members Kathy Boudin and David Gilbert—left him with a babysitter to take part in a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/20/nyregion/7-are-indicted-in-rockland-for-robbery-of-brink-s-car.html" target="_blank">botched heist of a Brink’s armored truck </a>that ultimately left two police officers and a security guard dead. While his parents were incarcerated for murder and robbery (though neither of them fired a shot that day), Boudin was raised by his adoptive parents, Weather Underground couple Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, in Chicago. (Boudin’s grandfather, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/26/obituaries/leonard-boudin-civil-liberties-lawyer-dies-at-77.html">Leonard Boudin</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/24/us/chesa-boudin-san-francisco-da.html">was a famous civil rights attorney</a>.)

Boudin was just 14 months old when his parents—Weather Underground members Kathy Boudin and David Gilbert—left him with a babysitter to take part in a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/20/nyregion/7-are-indicted-in-rockland-for-robbery-of-brink-s-car.html" target="_blank">botched heist of a Brink’s armored truck </a>that ultimately left two police officers and a security guard dead. While his parents were incarcerated for murder and robbery (though neither of them fired a shot that day), Boudin was raised by his adoptive parents, Weather Underground couple Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, in Chicago. (Boudin’s grandfather, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/26/obituaries/leonard-boudin-civil-liberties-lawyer-dies-at-77.html">Leonard Boudin</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/24/us/chesa-boudin-san-francisco-da.html">was a famous civil rights attorney</a>.)

Boudin has often cited his experience growing up with incarcerated parents as deeply influential on his view of the legal system. Boudin’s biological mother was released on parole in 2003. His father is serving a 75 years-to-life sentence.&nbsp;

Boudin has often cited his experience growing up with incarcerated parents as deeply influential on his view of the legal system. Boudin’s biological mother was released on parole in 2003. His father is serving a 75 years-to-life sentence.&nbsp;

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/48666527081_1bab9da962_k.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1598"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chesa Boudin | Smeeta Mahanti for Chesa 4DA</figcaption></figure>

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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/48666527081_1bab9da962_k.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1598"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chesa Boudin | Smeeta Mahanti for Chesa 4DA</figcaption></figure>

“My mother and father did the exact same thing and had identical culpability in the crime,” Boudin told <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/home/article/Grondahl-DA-seeks-clemency-for-father-60s-15750537.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Times Union</a>. “My mother served 22 years in prison and was paroled 17 years ago, while my father is still in prison. It’s an example of criminal justice imbalance.”&nbsp;

“My mother and father did the exact same thing and had identical culpability in the crime,” Boudin told <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/home/article/Grondahl-DA-seeks-clemency-for-father-60s-15750537.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Times Union</a>. “My mother served 22 years in prison and was paroled 17 years ago, while my father is still in prison. It’s an example of criminal justice imbalance.”&nbsp;

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Boudin has lobbied New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to grant his father <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/home/article/Grondahl-DA-seeks-clemency-for-father-60s-15750537.php">clemency</a>.&nbsp;

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Boudin has lobbied New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to grant his father <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/home/article/Grondahl-DA-seeks-clemency-for-father-60s-15750537.php">clemency</a>.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/revolutionary-san-francisco-11573602909?fbclid=IwAR3CCkF0wxnVeQOtPN_Trtc0AenFZKwBRLM61XGLr0oe4DoNKirzZ0-fpBM" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Much has also been made</a> of Boudin’s time in Venezuela as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chesa-boudin-sf-attorney-general-son-of-weather-underground-radicals-2019-12" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an alleged translator to Hugo Chavez</a> and his <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/chavez-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">apparent support</a> for the late Venezuelan leader’s rule over that country. But contrary to that oft-cited anecdote about his youthful travels through South America (some chronicled in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/books/17book.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">his 2009 memoir</a>), Boudin did not serve as a translator in Chavez’s administration. He did work as a translator on a book of interviews featuring Chavez. (Boudin sets the record straight <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11786680/chesa-boudin-on-his-district-attorney-victory-parents-incarceration-and-travels-in-south-america" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a> around 15:46.)&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/revolutionary-san-francisco-11573602909?fbclid=IwAR3CCkF0wxnVeQOtPN_Trtc0AenFZKwBRLM61XGLr0oe4DoNKirzZ0-fpBM" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Much has also been made</a> of Boudin’s time in Venezuela as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chesa-boudin-sf-attorney-general-son-of-weather-underground-radicals-2019-12" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an alleged translator to Hugo Chavez</a> and his <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/chavez-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">apparent support</a> for the late Venezuelan leader’s rule over that country. But contrary to that oft-cited anecdote about his youthful travels through South America (some chronicled in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/books/17book.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">his 2009 memoir</a>), Boudin did not serve as a translator in Chavez’s administration. He did work as a translator on a book of interviews featuring Chavez. (Boudin sets the record straight <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11786680/chesa-boudin-on-his-district-attorney-victory-parents-incarceration-and-travels-in-south-america" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a> around 15:46.)&nbsp;

Controversies &amp; Recall Campaign

Controversies &amp; Recall Campaign

While some politicos have lauded Boudin’s election as a signal from voters that they’re ready for criminal justice reform, the DA who’s just finished out his first year on the job has antagonized many.&nbsp;

While some politicos have lauded Boudin’s election as a signal from voters that they’re ready for criminal justice reform, the DA who’s just finished out his first year on the job has antagonized many.&nbsp;

Just two days after taking office, Boudin came under fire for canning <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11795676/why-did-san-franciscos-new-district-attorney-fire-seven-prosecutors" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">at least seven</a> prosecutors during a January 2020 purge dubbed the “<a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/SF-District-Attorney-Chesa-Boudin-hires-new-14972069.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Friday Night Massacre</a>.” He also drew scrutiny for <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/S-F-District-Attorney-Chesa-Boudin-dismissed-15720979.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quietly dismissing</a> a high-profile beating case involving two Alameda County sheriff’s deputies in March of last year. (Boudin <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/S-F-District-Attorney-Chesa-Boudin-dismissed-15720979.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told the SF Chronicle</a> he planned to refile the case “as soon as we’re able to do so successfully,” but did not share details.)

Just two days after taking office, Boudin came under fire for canning <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11795676/why-did-san-franciscos-new-district-attorney-fire-seven-prosecutors" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">at least seven</a> prosecutors during a January 2020 purge dubbed the “<a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/SF-District-Attorney-Chesa-Boudin-hires-new-14972069.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Friday Night Massacre</a>.” He also drew scrutiny for <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/S-F-District-Attorney-Chesa-Boudin-dismissed-15720979.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quietly dismissing</a> a high-profile beating case involving two Alameda County sheriff’s deputies in March of last year. (Boudin <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/S-F-District-Attorney-Chesa-Boudin-dismissed-15720979.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told the SF Chronicle</a> he planned to refile the case “as soon as we’re able to do so successfully,” but did not share details.)

And then of course, there’s the New Year’s Eve hit-and-run.

And then of course, there’s the New Year’s Eve hit-and-run.

Boudin <a href="https://www.sfdistrictattorney.org/press-release/da-boudin-announces-homicide-charges-for-dui-and-crashing-into-pedestrians-killing-them/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">charged</a> parolee Troy McAlister, who allegedly barrelled through a red light in a stolen car and struck two people dead, with two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated on Jan. 4. But critics have faulted the DA for not doing something about McAlister sooner.&nbsp;

Boudin <a href="https://www.sfdistrictattorney.org/press-release/da-boudin-announces-homicide-charges-for-dui-and-crashing-into-pedestrians-killing-them/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">charged</a> parolee Troy McAlister, who allegedly barrelled through a red light in a stolen car and struck two people dead, with two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated on Jan. 4. But critics have faulted the DA for not doing something about McAlister sooner.&nbsp;

An <a href="https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/sf-da-announces-homicide-charges-against-parolee-in-fatal-nye-hit-and-run/2436773/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NBC Bay Area investigation</a> into McAlister’s criminal record revealed that under California’s <a href="https://www.courts.ca.gov/20142.htm#:~:text=California's%20Three%20Strikes%20sentencing%20law%20was%20originally%20enacted%20in%201994,otherwise%20provided%20for%20the%20crime." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Three Strikes</a> law, McAlister was facing a possible life sentence for an earlier robbery charge. But under a new policy issued by Boudin, his office brokered a plea deal instead, <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Fatal-hit-and-run-DA-Boudin-charges-suspect-15845917.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">giving McAlister credit for five years served</a>. McAlister was released on parole last spring and racked up a string of arrests, ranging from burglary to theft, between June and December. Rather than pressing new charges on McAlister, the DA’s office repeatedly referred him to parole.&nbsp;

An <a href="https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/sf-da-announces-homicide-charges-against-parolee-in-fatal-nye-hit-and-run/2436773/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NBC Bay Area investigation</a> into McAlister’s criminal record revealed that under California’s <a href="https://www.courts.ca.gov/20142.htm#:~:text=California's%20Three%20Strikes%20sentencing%20law%20was%20originally%20enacted%20in%201994,otherwise%20provided%20for%20the%20crime." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Three Strikes</a> law, McAlister was facing a possible life sentence for an earlier robbery charge. But under a new policy issued by Boudin, his office brokered a plea deal instead, <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Fatal-hit-and-run-DA-Boudin-charges-suspect-15845917.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">giving McAlister credit for five years served</a>. McAlister was released on parole last spring and racked up a string of arrests, ranging from burglary to theft, between June and December. Rather than pressing new charges on McAlister, the DA’s office repeatedly referred him to parole.&nbsp;

Yet, as pointed out in <a href="https://missionlocal.org/2021/01/the-strange-and-terrible-saga-of-a-parolee-and-a-fatal-hit-and-run/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">this nuanced profile</a> of the case by Mission Local, the San Francisco Police Department did not contact McAlister’s parole officer after his most recent arrest on Dec. 20, nor did the parole office make moves to revoke McAlister’s&nbsp; parole after his multiple arrests. On Dec. 29, Daly City Police received <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Parolee-accused-of-killing-2-pedestrians-in-S-F-15843538.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a report of a stolen car</a> implicating McAlister, and set a follow-up date of Jan. 3. (For their part, Daly City Police and parole said they did follow up on McAlister’s cases <a href="https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/sf-da-announces-homicide-charges-against-parolee-in-fatal-nye-hit-and-run/2436773/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in their statements to the press</a>.)&nbsp;

Yet, as pointed out in <a href="https://missionlocal.org/2021/01/the-strange-and-terrible-saga-of-a-parolee-and-a-fatal-hit-and-run/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">this nuanced profile</a> of the case by Mission Local, the San Francisco Police Department did not contact McAlister’s parole officer after his most recent arrest on Dec. 20, nor did the parole office make moves to revoke McAlister’s&nbsp; parole after his multiple arrests. On Dec. 29, Daly City Police received <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Parolee-accused-of-killing-2-pedestrians-in-S-F-15843538.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a report of a stolen car</a> implicating McAlister, and set a follow-up date of Jan. 3. (For their part, Daly City Police and parole said they did follow up on McAlister’s cases <a href="https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/sf-da-announces-homicide-charges-against-parolee-in-fatal-nye-hit-and-run/2436773/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in their statements to the press</a>.)&nbsp;

Public ire reached another level when <a href="https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/01/04/update-san-francisco-da-boudin-once-represented-parolee-accused-in-double-fatal-hit-and-run/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">news reports</a> revealed that Boudin’s name had appeared on court documents as a public defender for McAlister back in 2018. But <a href="https://twitter.com/HamasakiLaw/status/1346260339009093632" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">legal Twitter</a> explained that Boudin’s “special appearance” wasn’t a conflict of interest but standard operating procedure for busy DAs and public defenders filling in for each other when they can’t be “in two places at once.”

Public ire reached another level when <a href="https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/01/04/update-san-francisco-da-boudin-once-represented-parolee-accused-in-double-fatal-hit-and-run/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">news reports</a> revealed that Boudin’s name had appeared on court documents as a public defender for McAlister back in 2018. But <a href="https://twitter.com/HamasakiLaw/status/1346260339009093632" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">legal Twitter</a> explained that Boudin’s “special appearance” wasn’t a conflict of interest but standard operating procedure for busy DAs and public defenders filling in for each other when they can’t be “in two places at once.”

<a href="https://twitter.com/HamasakiLaw/status/1346260340271501313?s=20">https://twitter.com/HamasakiLaw/status/1346260340271501313?s=20</a>

<a href="https://twitter.com/HamasakiLaw/status/1346260340271501313?s=20">https://twitter.com/HamasakiLaw/status/1346260340271501313?s=20</a>

Boudin has said that the events leading up to the tragic New Year’s Eve hit-and-run represent a breakdown of communication between various law enforcement agencies.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Boudin has said that the events leading up to the tragic New Year’s Eve hit-and-run represent a breakdown of communication between various law enforcement agencies.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&#8220;We need to work with the police and with all other law enforcement agencies that we partner with to do a better job at keeping the city safe,” Boudin <a href="https://abc7news.com/chesa-boudin-san-francisco-district-attorney-parolee-suspected-of-hit-and-run-deadly/9351509/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told ABC 7</a>. “I can&#8217;t do it without the police, they can&#8217;t do it without me, and parole certainly can&#8217;t do it if nobody even tells them somebody they supervise has been arrested. And that is exactly what happened here on December 20, and again with a different agency on December 29.&#8221;

"We need to work with the police and with all other law enforcement agencies that we partner with to do a better job at keeping the city safe,” Boudin <a href="https://abc7news.com/chesa-boudin-san-francisco-district-attorney-parolee-suspected-of-hit-and-run-deadly/9351509/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told ABC 7</a>. “I can't do it without the police, they can't do it without me, and parole certainly can't do it if nobody even tells them somebody they supervise has been arrested. And that is exactly what happened here on December 20, and again with a different agency on December 29."

&#8220;We need to work with the police and with all other law enforcement agencies that we partner with to do a better job at keeping the city safe,” Boudin <a href="https://abc7news.com/chesa-boudin-san-francisco-district-attorney-parolee-suspected-of-hit-and-run-deadly/9351509/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told ABC 7</a>. “I can&#8217;t do it without the police, they can&#8217;t do it without me, and parole certainly can&#8217;t do it if nobody even tells them somebody they supervise has been arrested. And that is exactly what happened here on December 20, and again with a different agency on December 29.&#8221;

But some are still calling for Boudin’s withdrawal from office. The DA is currently the target of a <a href="http://www.recallchesa.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recall campaign</a>, a petition <a href="https://www.change.org/p/petition-calling-for-sfda-chesa-boudin-to-resign" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">demanding his resignation</a> (spearheaded by former Republican mayoral candidate and political commentator <a href="http://www.richiegreenberg.org/">Richie Greenberg</a>) and the rallying cry for a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/report-on-chesa-boudin-san-francisco-crime" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GoFundMe </a>organized by angel investor <a href="https://twitter.com/Jason" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jason Calacanis,</a> who is <a href="https://twitter.com/Jason/status/1345945548277202944?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">seeking to hire an investigative journalist </a>to cover the DA and his office.

But some are still calling for Boudin’s withdrawal from office. The DA is currently the target of a <a href="http://www.recallchesa.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recall campaign</a>, a petition <a href="https://www.change.org/p/petition-calling-for-sfda-chesa-boudin-to-resign" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">demanding his resignation</a> (spearheaded by former Republican mayoral candidate and political commentator <a href="http://www.richiegreenberg.org/">Richie Greenberg</a>) and the rallying cry for a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/report-on-chesa-boudin-san-francisco-crime" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GoFundMe </a>organized by angel investor <a href="https://twitter.com/Jason" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jason Calacanis,</a> who is <a href="https://twitter.com/Jason/status/1345945548277202944?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">seeking to hire an investigative journalist </a>to cover the DA and his office.

San Francisco Police Officers Association President Tony Montoya <a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-francisco-police-robbery-eb8da5d44f7ef8467c3ca2b521676258" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told the AP</a>, “Two people were killed on New Year’s Eve because Chesa Boudin refused to do his job, which is to hold criminals and victimizers accountable.”

San Francisco Police Officers Association President Tony Montoya <a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-francisco-police-robbery-eb8da5d44f7ef8467c3ca2b521676258" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told the AP</a>, “Two people were killed on New Year’s Eve because Chesa Boudin refused to do his job, which is to hold criminals and victimizers accountable.”

In turn, Mayor Breed has called for responsibility and accountability. In an interview, Breed <a href="https://twitter.com/lihanlihan/status/1347392915157356545?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told City Journal</a>, a local Chinese-language newspaper, that “there still has to be accountability. And had this person been held accountable for the numerous crimes that they committed, then this possibly would not have even happened.”

In turn, Mayor Breed has called for responsibility and accountability. In an interview, Breed <a href="https://twitter.com/lihanlihan/status/1347392915157356545?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told City Journal</a>, a local Chinese-language newspaper, that “there still has to be accountability. And had this person been held accountable for the numerous crimes that they committed, then this possibly would not have even happened.”

“I&#8217;m running my office as well as I can, and I&#8217;m working as hard as I can under historically difficult circumstances,” said Boudin in an <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11853808/working-as-hard-as-i-can-sf-district-attorney-chesa-boudin-on-his-challenging-first-year" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interview with KQED</a> reflecting on his first year, which also included a worldwide pandemic. “I&#8217;m rolling up my sleeves and I&#8217;m personally doing the work to keep our cases moving forward and to help make San Francisco safer for all of us.”&nbsp;

“I'm running my office as well as I can, and I'm working as hard as I can under historically difficult circumstances,” said Boudin in an <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11853808/working-as-hard-as-i-can-sf-district-attorney-chesa-boudin-on-his-challenging-first-year" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interview with KQED</a> reflecting on his first year, which also included a worldwide pandemic. “I'm rolling up my sleeves and I'm personally doing the work to keep our cases moving forward and to help make San Francisco safer for all of us.”&nbsp;

“I&#8217;m running my office as well as I can, and I&#8217;m working as hard as I can under historically difficult circumstances,” said Boudin in an <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11853808/working-as-hard-as-i-can-sf-district-attorney-chesa-boudin-on-his-challenging-first-year" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interview with KQED</a> reflecting on his first year, which also included a worldwide pandemic. “I&#8217;m rolling up my sleeves and I&#8217;m personally doing the work to keep our cases moving forward and to help make San Francisco safer for all of us.”&nbsp;

But it is the last night of 2020 that threatens to cast a long shadow over Boudin during 2021.

But it is the last night of 2020 that threatens to cast a long shadow over Boudin during 2021.

Who is Chesa Boudin? Meet the San Francisco DA at the center of a media storm

Han Li

華裔議員推立法 農曆新年有望成為加州法定假期

华裔议员推立法 农历新年有望成为加州法定假期

You're invited to an exclusive, hands-on cocktail class at Lower Nob Hill’s stylish DACHA, where you’ll shake, stir, sip, and show off.

Summer Cocktail Class

Join researcher and nonprofit director Bill Delzell for a private reception exploring a time capsule that still feels relevant today.

In the early 1980s, a Bay Area picker stumbled upon something incredible: a plastic garbage bag filled with 2,042 processed 35mm color slides and 102 rolls of carefully labeled black-and-white film. The images — all 8,417 of them — captured a seminal moment in San Francisco counterculture, from 1966 through the 1967 Summer of Love to 1970.

The photographer remains unknown, and most of the photos have gone unseen — until now.

Join researcher and nonprofit director Bill Delzell for a private reception exploring a time capsule that still feels relevant today. Based on a story by San Francisco Standard culture reporter Sam Mondros.

Find/Seek: Stories and Photos from San Francisco's Past
Tuesday, May 20
6pm-8:30pm
Four One Nine
419 Tenth Street
San Francisco

Complimentary wine and bites. 
Invitation only for guests 21 and over.

Find/Seek: Stories and Photos from San Francisco’s Past

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🩰 Join us for a special night at the San Francisco Ballet

Join us for the launch of Taste of SF, a members-only culinary series from The San Francisco Standard

You’re invited: Truffle-making class at Dandelion Chocolate

Join Stripe CEO Patrick Collison, UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood, and UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons for a vital conversation on how the Bay Area's unique blend of tech innovation and world-class research drives global medical breakthroughs.

Test: Live In-Person Partay

The San Francisco Unified School District faces massive budget shortfalls and declining enrollment following a turbulent year marked by leadership changes and halted plans to close schools.

Two members of the Board of Education — former educator Phil Kim and Deputy City Attorney and SFUSD parent Jaime Huling — join The Standard’s senior editor Annie Gaus and politics reporter Han Li for a live discussion about the school district’s challenges and the path forward. The guests will also answer questions submitted by the audience.

Fixing SF schools with Board of Education leaders

Robert Saleh was the off-season's first step, what comes next?

Kawakami & Lombardi Talk 49ers

San Francisco voters approved Proposition K, the ballot measure that closed the Great Highway to cars to create a park, but the election inflamed tensions between neighbors who were both for and against it. Supervisor Joel Engardio represents the Sunset, where the Great Highway resides, and joins The Standard’s political reporters Han Li and Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez to talk about the park’s future and how the neighborhood may heal after the contentious election. We’ll take your questions during the livestream.

Who is Chesa Boudin? Meet the San Francisco DA at the center of a media storm

華裔議員推立法農曆新年有望成為加州法定假期

华裔议员推立法农历新年有望成为加州法定假期

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Who is Chesa Boudin? Meet the San Francisco DA at the center of a media storm

華裔議員推立法 農曆新年有望成為加州法定假期

华裔议员推立法 农历新年有望成为加州法定假期

華裔議員推立法農曆新年有望成為加州法定假期

华裔议员推立法农历新年有望成为加州法定假期