John Hamasaki to run against Brooke Jenkins for San Francisco DA
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John Hamasaki, a criminal defense attorney and a former San Francisco police commissioner is planning to run for district attorney in this fall’s special election, positioning himself as an ideological foil to newly appointed District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.
Hamasaki’s decision to run for office comes after Chesa Boudin announced he would not seek his former post in the November race. Boudin was recalled from the DA’s office last June following a bitter citywide debate over crime and criminal justice in San Francisco, but still commands a large contingency of loyalists who support his reform-minded policies.
In an interview with The Chronicle, Hamasaki said he made the decision to run after becoming increasingly disheartened by Jenkins’ drug policies, and what he views as a deference to Mayor London Breed, who appointed her.
“A lot of us in the criminal justice system had hopes that the mayor would make a responsible and even moderate choice, and I think a lot of folks would have stood down,” he said. “What we’ve seen instead is a mayor’s office basically running the district attorney’s office.”
Prior to stepping down from the Police Commission in April, Hamasaki was regarded as the watchdog group’s most outspoken — and often controversial — member, known for his incendiary commentary on law enforcement and locking horns with Police Chief Bill Scott and city supervisors.
Hamasaki said his career’s work as a defense and trial attorney, as well as his time on the Police Commission has prepared him for the role of top prosecutor.
“My work, in addition to representing individuals charged in the criminal system, (included) representing victims of crimes when prosecutors have failed to do their jobs,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot throughout my different career — the good, the bad and the ugly of the criminal justice system.”
Hamasaki said the city is continuously struggling with a perception that local leaders are not responding to and not respecting the rights of ordinary San Franciscans.
“I think there’s a real, strong perception that the corruption that exists in City Hall has has allowed the conditions on our streets to deteriorate to the point where we end up on the news or various crises,” he said. “And I think that’s something that can be addressed through returning to an independent District Attorney — removing the mayor’s office from running the day to day office.
“I think, as a prosecutor, I would be able to help get the city back on track,” he said.
Hamasaki said he decided not to seek a second term on the commission due to what he saw as the group’s inaction after Scott’s decision to pull out of a use-of-force reform agreement with the District Attorney’s Office. It was unclear, however, if he would have been able to secure enough votes from the Board of Supervisors to be reappointed after sparring with several board members.
In addition to sparring with police at commission meetings, Hamasaki has become known for his provocative and sometimes combative Twitter presence — one that hit a boiling point last year when he openly traded jabs with Supervisor Catherine Stefani.
After Hamasaki tweeted what he called an “uncomfortable truth” about teens and guns — arguing that it was sometimes more dangerous for police to confiscate the weapons — Stefani called for Hamasaki to “step aside.”
Hamasaki fired back at Stefani on Twitter, prompting other supervisors to condemn his statements. Hamasaki ultimately apologized.
When asked whether his previous controversies would affect his backing from city leaders, Hamasaki said he was optimistic.
“I expect that as I run my campaign, and city leaders are able to see that we are presenting a positive framework for criminal justice system in the city, I do expect to gather support,” he said.
“As a candidate, he said, the plan is to focus more on the issues and less on the casual tweeting,” he said. “But I understand; once you put yourself into the arena, scrutiny is fair, and I’m happy to address anything or explain anything people find controversial.”
Hamasaki said he plans to appeal to would-be Boudin voters, and that the comparisons between the two men will be inevitable.
“I share a lot of the goals, values and visions of the progressives and I expect to implement those values as a prosecutor,” he said. However, he said, “I need to be very clear that I am not Chesa Boudin.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates at sfchronicle.com
Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: me***********@sf*********.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy
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