San Francisco Prosecutors Asleep at the Wheel
This week a San Francisco police officer is dead--killed by a 19 year old Norteno gang member whose criminal history is long indeed, but who has virtually never been prosecuted for his numerous crimes over the years.
As crimes ranging from graffiti to murder run rampant in the city of San Francisco, the District Attorney Kamala Harris' office, notorious for being soft on criminals, continues to decline to prosecute even the most repeat offenders.
San Francisco police officer Nick Tomasito Birco was killed when his patrol car was rammed by 19-year old Steven Wayne Petrilli, as he fled from police after commiting a robery.
Patrilli had been arrested numerous times in the previous few years -- for carrying a concealed handgun, numerous auto theft arrests, burglary, lewd and lascivious conduct with a 13-year-old girl , and various driving offenses. Prosecutors declined to file or dropped the charges in most of the cases.
In the few cases that prosecutors bothered to file charges, Patrilli was either put in a diversion program, given probation, or given credit for 35 days time served.
According to Gary Delagnes, president of the Police Officers Association of San Francisco,
"In two of the most egregious cases, in August 2005, Judge James McBride allowed Petrilli to bail on $100,000 bond on a charge of having sex with a minor under the age of 14. Then, on Sept. 8, the judge allowed him to bail again on $75,000 bond on a charge of burglarizing the home of the minor. Under Penal Code section 1272.1, a judge is mandated to consider whether the defendant 'poses a danger to the safety of any other person or the community.'"
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Chief Assistant District Attorney Russ Giuntini said he was still reviewing the records in the case, but that it appears prosecutors did everything they could to keep Petrilli in custody.
Really? If that's the best they can do, perhaps its time to change the guard. How many good people will be victimized before the San Francisco prosecutor's office takes its job seriously enough to actually prosecute serious criminals.
See details of the arrests and dropped charges. See also, Gary Delagnes' article: Keep Killers Off the City's Streets for more information.
Also, see another profile of a criminal who's been arrested 50 times in San Francisco, and has served virtually no jail time: "Nuisance Criminal Personifies Flaws of S.F. Justice System"
Update: See additional articles about families devastated by San Francisco's revolving door justice system: Best California City for Criminals: San Francisco
Update (Sept 2008): More new about San Francisco criminals who are continually released without punishment in "Where system failed, street justice ended a career in petty crime" from The San Francisco Chronicle: "Broussard, 37, a high school dropout who grew up in San Francisco's housing projects, was arrested at least eight times over the last year and a half, mostly for breaking into cars to get cash to feed a drug habit. Each time, Broussard would be released-- within days, weeks or a few months-- to resume stealing and breaking into cars..."
