SAN FRANCISCO—San Francisco elected former public defender, Chesa Boudin, as the new District Attorney after a close race with Suzy Loftus.
During his campaign, Boudin promised to close San Francisco’s Jail #4 and put the savings into mental health care. He promised to confront mass incarceration, and racial disparities, in the criminal justice system and hold police officers accountable in cases of police brutality. Boudin has been called, “#1 choice for criminals and gang members” via social media.
“We will not prosecute cases involving, quality of life crimes,” said Boudin. Specific crimes Boudin would not prosecute include: urinating in public, solicitation of sex, public camping, and blocking the sidewalk. Ending cash bail, gang enhancements were part of Boudin’s campaign platform. The homeless population is San Francisco sits at 9,784 people.
In video footage, Boudin talks about his parents being incarcerated when he was 14 months old, and what it was like to visit his parents in prison as a child.
Boudin was adopted by a couple who were as weathermen colleagues of Boudin’s parents, Bill Ayers, and Bernadine Dohrn. Ayers, who authored the book, “Fugitive Days,” spoke in his book about his days as a leader of Weather Underground. Ayers, who is known as a distinguished professor at the University of Chicago was at the center of controversy in 2008 over his close relationship with Former President Barack Obama.
Kathy Boudin was convicted in 1984 for participating in an armed robbery that resulted in the killing of police officers, Sgt. Edward O’Grady and Officer Waverly Brown, in addition to security guard, Peter Page. She was released from prison in 2003. Brown and O’Grady were shot and killed by armed members of the terrorist group, Weather Underground, who had robbed a bank and were attempting to escape.
Members of Weather Underground bombed the Pentagon, the U.S. Capitol, the Police Benevolent Association, tChehe New York Board of Corrections and more facilities in the 60s and 70s, when Boudin and Gilbert were part of the organization.
Boudin’s father, David Gilbert is still behind bars for his part in the murders and terrorist activities. His mother is a professor at Columbia University.
