Blog — Court Reporter
SF Court Records Mess Is Obstacle to Public Safety
San Francisco’s outdated and inaccessible criminal records request system is an obstacle to public safety. It leaves journalists and crime victims unclear about what is actually happening in our criminal justice system. Our court must provide clear records on demand for everyone — it is essential to hold officials accountable.
We Can’t Fight Crime With Spaghetti Bowl of Data
San Francisco lacks a fully interconnected criminal justice computer database that shares information in real time. Good data that’s easy to access can help residents understand what is really happening in our district attorney’s office, the police department, and the courts.
See Where Burglaries Spiked in SF During Pandemic
An interactive map of all burglaries in San Francisco from 2019 to 2021.
Let’s Shine a Light on Our Mysterious Judges
There are 52 superior court judges serving San Francisco. They are elected. Yet most voters have never heard of them. The judiciary shouldn’t be a mysterious Star Chamber. If you care about courtroom outcomes, it’s important to know who the judges are.
Target Security Guard Speaks Out on Crime in San Francisco
A lifelong Mission resident quit his job as a security guard at a downtown Target store because he didn’t feel safe. Rafael Gutierrez tells his personal story in this powerful video.
A Judge With No Name?
When a 94-year-old woman was stabbed on the sidewalk outside her Lower Nob Hill home, local media in San Francisco named the victim and the suspect — but curiously never named a central figure in the story: Superior Court Judge Richard Darwin. This is a disservice to the public.
Who Sold the Gun — Ghost or Real?
Ghost guns represented 16 percent of all firearms seized in San Francisco in 2020. Who sold the remaining 84 percent of guns that were used in crimes? That's an important question to answer if we want to address rising gun violence.
Family of 84-Year-Old Asian Man Attacked in SF Speaks Out Against District Attorney
Here/Say Media interviewed the victim’s grandson, Jack Liao, who claimed the district attorney’s office kept the family “in the dark” while trying to convince his non-English speaking grandfather to agree to no prosecution.
A Week That Feels Like the Past Century
Another troubling week for Asian Americans. The discrimination of the past century is a direct line to modern San Francisco, where violence against Asian residents was a problem long before the politics of a pandemic scapegoated Asian Americans. We must prosecute crimes and support victims.
The State of Crime in San Francisco
A TV news crew reporting on increased crime is robbed of their camera at gunpoint. Before expressing outrage over this ironic property crime, we can’t ignore the violent and senseless killings in San Francisco recently — especially the numerous attacks on Asian seniors.