Democratic San Francisco Mayor London Breed is replacing ousted District Attorney Chesa Boudin with one of his top recall advocates.
Breed announced at a press conference Thursday that former San Francisco prosecutor Brooke Jenkins, a vocal supporter of the efforts to recall Boudin, will replace Boudin as San Francisco District Attorney. San Francisco’s mayor said Jenkins was chosen to replace Boudin because she had the experience and balanced compassion for both sides of the criminal justice system. (RELATED: Embattled Left-Wing Prosecutor Chesa Boudin Recalled In San Francisco Election)
“She sacrificed her career to fight for people in this city, to fight for victims who needed a voice in the city,” Breed said. “I am confident that there is no one better to serve as District Attorney than Brooke Jenkins.”
Jenkins said she was “humbled and honored” to accept the position as San Francisco’s top prosecutor.
“We are a city of second chances. But the truth is we have to draw a line with people who choose hate, violence, and a life of crime. I want to make clear: holding offenders accountable does not preclude us from moving forward with vital and important reforms to our criminal justice system,” she said.
Jenkins joined the fight to recall Boudin after leaving the DA’s office. She has said she became frustrated with Boudin’s policies giving defendants lenient penalties and pressuring prosecutors to offer plea deals. She said he refused to accept accountability for his policies’ effects on public safety.
Many people who commit serious crimes are in desperate need of rehabilitation and deserve that chance. Chesa is failing require offenders to get that help. He thinks a free pass is the answer and it’s not and never will be.
— Brooke Jenkins 謝安宜 (@BrookeJenkinsSF) June 5, 2022
“This is about San Franciscans wanting a district attorney who’s actually dedicated to prioritizing public safety,” Jenkins told The Washington Post in June. “People’s issues with Chesa is that he has been tone-deaf to their pleas for accountability. They think things have gone a bit too far with crime and they don’t feel as though he is setting the right tone.”
When Jenkins is sworn in Friday, she will become San Francisco’s first Latina and second African American woman to hold the office, CBS reported.