Brooke Jenkins appointed to succeed as San Francisco District Attorney

(SAN FRANCISCO) Brooke Jenkins, a former prosecutor who resigned and joined the recall District Attorney campaign last year, was appointed by Mayor London Breed as the new District Attorney in San Francisco.

Jenkins, 40, who is African American and Latina, was born in the Bay Area. She received her law degree from the University of Chicago and bachelor degree from UC Berkeley, where she was a member of the Track and Field Team, competing in the 400-meter hurdles.

Jenkins served as a prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney's Office starting 2014 and resigned in October 2021. Subsequently, Jenkins joined the recall District Attorney Chesa Boudin campaign which was organized by former San Francisco Democratic Party Chair Mary Jung.

Former District Attorney Chesa Boudin was recalled by 55% of the San Francisco voters in the June 7 primary election. Names to succeed Boudin had been around for weeks until Breed announced her choice in a press conference on July 7. Jenkins was sworn in for the new position on the next day on July 8 at City Hall.

Jenkins had been one of the top candidates to succeed Boudin. Other names included District 2 Supervisor Catherine Stefani and former District Attorney candidate Nancy Tung.

Among 11 Supervisors, only four Supervisors, Stefani, Rafael Mandelman, Myrna Melgar, and Matt Dorsey, were present at the swearing in ceremony. Most of the progressive Supervisors who supported Boudin did not show up at the ceremony.

“After a long process, which included several meetings with community members, business owners, and attorneys, I am confident that there is no one better to serve as District Attorney than Brooke Jenkins. She is someone who has the necessary experience to lead this department and from personal experience, understands both sides of the criminal justice system,” said Breed.

At both the press conference and the swearing in ceremony, Jenkins vowed to end Tenderloin open-air drug markets and prosecute property crime, violent offenses, including anti-Asian hate crimes.

In the Chinese community, a number of the community members had sent letters to Breed's office in support of appointing Nancy Tung as the new District Attorney. Police Commissioner Larry Yee was one of them.

Yee said on the stage in the ceremony that his first choice was Tung. But he also supported Jenkins and had confidence in her to lead the District Attorney's Office.

"Brooke has the compassion to see that victims and victims' families feel a sense of justice. At the same time, she is also mindful that those who are held accountable for their crimes

and are serious about leading better lives should be matched with resources for rehabilitation," said Julie Soo, San Francisco Sheriff's Department Oversight Board Member.

Soo also attended the swearing in ceremony and said, "Changes will not happen overnight, but all communities can feel confident that their voices will be heard. Brooke is keenly aware that our AAPI communities have been affected by daily attacks, but she also knows firsthand Black families who have been victims and have not felt a sense of justice under that past administration."

Like Yee, Visitacion Valley community leader Marlene Tran is a supporter of Tung. "Before Mayor Breed's nomination of our new DA, thanks to her for meeting with my group to hear our suggestions. Although we had hoped she would choose the more experienced prosecutor, Nancy Tung, we understand she has to weigh many difficult criteria. We support her decision to appoint Ms. Brooke Jenkins who gave very promising ideas at her inauguration speech to address the safety problems that have plagued our beautiful City," said Tran.

Tran continued, "Amongst the new DA's many viable ideas to combat crimes, her support of Mayor Breed's proposal, with agreement from Police Chief Scott, to expand the use of camera surveillance would deter crimes and certainly help law enforcement in their investigations. We are very hopeful that, with everyone's cooperation, our new District Attorney will work very hard to restore the confidence of San Franciscans."