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Two SF prosecutors who quit their jobs at DA's office join Boudin recall effort

By KTVU staff
Updated  October 25, 2021 6:29pm PDT
San Francisco
KTVU FOX 2

Two SF prosecutors who quit their jobs at DA's office join Boudin recall effort

The campaign to recall San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin continued to gain steam on Monday with two former San Francisco prosecutors publicly joining the effort to vote their former boss out of office.

SAN FRANCISCO - The campaign to recall San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin continued to gain steam on Monday with two former San Francisco prosecutors publicly joining the effort to vote their former boss out of office.

SEE ALSO: Chesa Boudin recall effort moves forward, signatures submitted to Department of Elections

Former prosecutors join Boudin recall effort

Two San Francisco prosecutors have quit their jobs in San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin's office and joined an effort to recall him.

Prosecutors Brooke Jenkins and Don du Bain recently left their positions at the DA’s office, citing Boudin’s lack of commitment to prosecuting crimes as the reason for their departure. 

Holding a virtual press conference on Monday, the two announced that they were joining the Boudin recall campaign as volunteers, saying they believed the district attorney was putting the public safety of San Francisco’s residents and visitors at risk. 

They charged that his so-called "radical" approach to crime has resulted in releasing offenders without rehabilitation and placing them in a position to re-offend.

"He has proven that his policies and approach is anything but progressive," Jenkins said, adding, "To the contrary, his approach has been extreme and radical, and as a result we have seen crime increase, justice wane, and lives be lost."

Du Bain accused the district attorney of disregarding laws that he doesn't like. "I have lost my confidence in Chesa Boudin to serve as our elected district attorney, because I’ve concluded that he selectively enforces the laws of the State of California according to his own political priorities," said the former assistant DA.

SEE ALSO: California AG, San Francisco DA team up against 'ghost gun' sellers

Du Bain formerly worked as a prosecutor in the DA’s domestic violence unit. Jenkins was a prosecutor in the homicide unit.

The two were among at least 50 lawyers from the DA’s office who quit or were fired since Boudin became district attorney last year. 

In response to the accusations against him, Boudin's office released a statement saying, "We are disappointed that former staff members have chosen to politicize their departures and spread misinformation about DA Boudin, specific cases, and the hard work of our dedicated prosecutors and staff." The statement went on to say, "All criminal cases are complex and certainly there may be disagreements on process, but twisting those disagreements for obvious political purposes does nothing to make our city safer or improve the pursuit of justice."

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Last week, recall organizers submitted 83,000 petition signatures to the city's Department of Elections. That's about 32,000 more than required.

City officials now have 30 days to validate those signatures. If certified, an election will be held sometime next year.