Voters in San Francisco, a known liberal city, recalled Chesa Boudin as their district attorney (DA). Boudin gained criticism for his opposition to law enforcement and weak stance on crime.
Residents voted to remove Boudin from his position as DA, as reflected by the results of the recall election that came in on the night of June 7. His recall also marked the end of San Francisco's progressive-leaning criminal justice reforms that did more harm than good. Based on initial results, 60 percent of ballots cast were in favor of Boudin's removal compared to the 40 percent who voted for him to stay.
Andrea Shorter, the prime mover behind the effort to recall Boudin from his post, said: "This is not a message to the rest of the country. But to take care of our community, it's really making sure you have balance around the idea of progressive reform and safety. They are one [and] the same and we got off track."
Boudin, meanwhile, pointed his finger at the "right-wing billionaires" as the main factor in his recall. "They exploited an environment in which people are appropriately upset, and they created an electoral dynamic where we were literally shadowboxing," he said during a June 7 speech. "Voters were not asked to choose between criminal justice reform and something else. They were given the opportunity to voice their frustration and their outrage and they took that opportunity."
First elected as the San Francisco DA in 2019, Boudin oversaw "a 35 percent reduction in the number of San Francisco residents in state prisons, a 37 percent decline in the adult jail population and a 57 percent decline in the juvenile jail population" by means of resentencing, diversion and other reforms.
Resident Kevin Wakelin said the erstwhile DA's reforms that sent criminals back on the streets did more harm than good.
"The condition of the streets is getting intolerable. I know it's not all [Boudin's] fault because of the pandemic, but it's because he refuses prosecution – [so] that crime has been further encouraged," he said. "There are so many car break-ins, house break-ins and stolen bicycles. No one can afford a brand new bicycle every other week, but that truly happens to some of us, and it's terrible. [Boudin] needs to take responsibility for that." (Related: Left-wing billionaire George Soros installs Marxist District Attorneys who openly permit felonies, leading to historic crime waves.)
Boudin's anti-cop policies contributed to his downfall
Following the June 7 recall, San Francisco Mayor London Breed must appoint a temporary DA in place of Boudin. Meanwhile, he will be removed 10 days after the formal adoption of the results. The DA appointed by Breed will serve in that capacity until the November 2022 elections.
Breed, a moderate Democrat, has increasingly opposed the policies and reforms pushed by the now-ousted DA. She has repeatedly sided with police officials in disputes and has pushed to expand the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) and its powers.
Fifth-generation San Francisco resident David Cuadrol said he voted in favor of the former DA's recall for the sake of police officers, construction workers and other "blue-collar workers … who have been bearing the brunt of Boudin's policies." He added: "[Boudin] said that most of the cops aren't from the city [and] don't live in the city. It's because they can't afford to."
"It was mostly for the cops," Cuadrol remarked, defending his decision to vote in favor of recalling the DA. "Look: In 2020, everyone hated them and now everyone wants them."
The frustration coming from officers of the SFPD also contributed to growing sentiment against Boudin. They cited the lack of prosecutions on the part of the DA's office, alongside the lowering of some crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. Some officers have even said they no longer make arrests in certain cases because they know Boudin would not prosecute the suspect.
Watch Martin Brodel talking about the recall of former San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin below.
This video is from the Martin Brodel channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
EXODUS: 40% of residents plan to leave San Francisco as crime rises; 76% call for more police.
Walgreens shutters 5 more San Francisco branches due to "ongoing organized retail crime."
DEFUND the police? Break-ins in San Francisco up by 90% in some neighborhoods.
Businesses continue to shutter in San Francisco due to rampant shoplifting.
Sources include:
Please contact us for more information.