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San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón announced on Tuesday that he would not stand for reelection, thus ending an eight-year period among the country's most progressive senior prosecutors.
Citing his family obligations, particularly his plans to take care of his 90-year-old mother in Southern California, Gascón said he would not seek a third term. His term expires at the end of 2019.
"At the moment, I just can not be the son I want to be and seek a third term," Gascón said in a statement. "My career is important to me. But succeeding in the world with a family in chaos is not a choice I'm ready to make. "
Gascón was facing a controversial and lengthy battle for reelection next year. Suzy Loftus, deputy chief legal counsel for the sheriff's department and former chair of the police commission, announced her candidacy for the position last month and has already been approved by the mayor of London Breed.
Joseph Alioto Veronese, former member of the San Francisco Police Commission, and Leif Dautch, Deputy Attorney General and Attorney General of the San Francisco Police Union, both threw their hats into the ring.
Gascón was appointed District Attorney in 2011 after Kamala Harris stepped down as Attorney General. He had been chief of police in San Francisco from 2009 to 2011, after being put to use by his then mayor, Gavin Newsom, in Mesa, Arizona. Previously, he was Deputy Police Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department.
During his two terms as a prosecutor, Gascón fought for a change in the criminal justice system at the local and national levels. His efforts created enemies on both sides of the political aisle.
He ran into the ranks of the command staff and former Chief of Police, Greg Suhr, about initiatives concerning the use of force by the police and legislation reducing the use of force. punishment for certain drug and property crimes, namely Proposition 47.
This year, Gascón has been the subject of much criticism from law enforcement and detection groups. As the sole responsible for law enforcement in the state to support the failure of AB931, it would have created a more stringent standard in the use of lethal force by police officers.
His decision not to prosecute police officers in highly publicized killings – such as the tragic killings of Mario Woods by the police in 2015 in the Bayview neighborhood – has sharply criticized police brutality demonstrators and some communities of color in San Francisco.
Every Friday afternoon, a handful of protesters gather on the steps of the courtroom, calling on Gascón to step down following his decision not to prosecute officers who use lethal force.
"The work of the prosecutor is a huge responsibility. It requires doing what is right, even when it is unpopular, perhaps especially when it is unpopular, "said Gascón in his statement.
Among his efforts to bring change, Gascón has expanded his office to the fight against crime by focusing on analysis and partnerships. His office has participated in numerous working groups and has set up the Crime Enforcement Strategies Unit, a team of prosecutors and analysts working with the police department to identify prolific criminals and hot spots. crime.
He cited a dramatic decline in violent crime, particularly homicide, under his tenure as chief of police and prosecutor. The killings in San Francisco fell by 50% in the first year at the head of Gascón.
His biggest case as a prosecutor, however, ended in a high-profile acquittal before the country's eyes.
In November, a jury found Jose Ines Garcia Zarate guilty of homicide in the 2015 assassination of Kate Steinle on Pier 14 in San Francisco.
A team of lawyers from the Public Defender's office claimed that Garcia Zarate, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, had accidentally pulled the trigger of the stolen gun he had found on the pier.
President Trump, who had cited the case during his election campaign to advocate for a tighter immigration policy, criticized San Francisco and its city shrine policy as a result of verdict.
Although the case sparked brief but intense national criticism, Gascón faced more sustained pressure at the local level, with property crime rates in San Francisco – particularly auto burglaries – having has reached unprecedented levels in recent years. Suhr and other police officials blamed the problem on Prop. 47.
Chief Bill Scott has avoided public clashes and clashes with the Gascón office since becoming chief last year.
"The prosecutor made a decision that was best for his family," Scott said Tuesday. "We still have a lot of work ahead of us for the rest of his term and we look forward to continuing to work with him to make our city safer."
Gascón has also taken steps to reform the state's cash bonding system, although it has been opposed in recent months to more radical changes to the system. He was one of the first advocates of the public safety assessment tool now used by courts to determine an accused's risk after release.
But when the state's cash bonding system was almost completely abandoned following a decision of the Court of Appeal in the case of the accused Kenneth Humphrey for robbery, Gascón found himself on the other side of the battle, pleading for bail in some cases.
More recently, Gascón announced that he would wipe out thousands of marijuana convictions in San Francisco as a result of Proposition 64, which had legalized the pot in California. Other major US cities and jurisdictions in the Bay Area have followed with similar initiatives.
Public defender Jeff Adachi, his natural opponent in the audience room, said it would be sad to see Gascón leave.
"He has been a great person to work with," said Adachi. "He is very committed to improving the system."
At the end of his term, Gascón announced his intention to spend more time with his family in Southern California, where his family emigrated from his native Havana while he was a boy.
"To do well requires a serious commitment of time and energy," he said. "I was able to do it thanks to the support of my family. The women of my life have made countless sacrifices to my career. "
Evan Sernoffsky is a writer of the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @ IvanSernoffsky
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