Without a Trial Courtroom, SF Judge Issues Case Continuances En Masse
By Ned Meiners SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Over the course of two hours on Wednesday morning in…
Victim Impromptu Statement Refutes Defendant’s Sobriety, Causes Judge to Change Order
By S. Priana Aquino SAN FRANCISCO, CA – A victim’s impromptu statement to the judge here this…
Deputy Public Defender Blasts SF Judge Over No-Bail Policy in Courtroom that ‘Harkens Back to Decades Ago’
By Ned Meiners and Esme Lipton SAN FRANCISCO, CA — San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Martina Avalos…
Off-Record Work by All Parties on Display in Otherwise Slow Day in SF Court
By Elena Rawlinson. SAN FRANCISCO, CA – San Francisco Superior Court Judge Harry Dorfman ruled on several…
Black Man Claims Self Defense After Striking Alleged Pursuer with Flashlight – Homelessness Complicates His Release; Passionate Public Defender Calls Case ‘Stupid’
By Esme Lipton and Alex Tuchman SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Public Defender Kathleen Natividad went head-to-head with…
Jury Sees Through Charges, Acquits Young Woman of Reckless Driving and ‘Child Endangerment’
The Vanguard Staff SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Sometimes juries can see through unfair charges, and believe not…
Defendant Accused of Sexual Assault Has Similar Prior – Hearing Sidetracked with Whether Counsel Needed to Wear Mask
By Ella Wade SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Judge Christopher Hite presided over pre-trial motions here in San…
Defense Questions Technical Detail in Armed Robbery Pretrial – Judge Denies
Elena Rawlinson SAN FRANCISCO, CA– Co-defendants Jorge Espinal Casares and Ernie Figueroa were charged with armed robbery…
Family of Victim Killed by Hit and Run Drunk Driver Expresses Hope for Defendant
By Ella Wade SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Sentencing was held for Michael Smith—who killed a man while…
SF Court Focuses on ‘Diversion’ to Keep Low Level Offenders Out of Jail, System
By Elena Rawlinson SAN FRANCISCO, CA – It was a busy day Tuesday in Judge Gale Dekreon’s…
Defense Questions Reliability of Eyewitnesses in Ongoing Omar Herrera Murder Trial
By Sophia Barberini and Jeramie Gutierrez SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Defense witnesses took the stand in…
Hundreds of Defendants Await Trial Despite SF Courts Reopening
By S. Priana Aquino SAN FRANCISCO, CA— Throughout the pandemic, San Francisco has been a positive example…
Murder Defendant Takes Stand, Provides Context to Killing Charge
By Elena Rawlinson and Ella Wade SAN FRANCISCO, CA– Most defendants don’t take the stand in serious…
SF Judge Refuses to Drop Conspiracy Charges for Two Men Implicated in Demondre Perkins Shooting
By Alex Tuchman and Ned Meiners SAN FRANCISCO, CA – San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Eric…
San Francisco Jury Told Don’t ‘Fix Tragedy by Causing Tragedy’ in Corner-Store Shootout Trial
By Alana Bleimann, Mia Machado, Savannah Dewberry, Priana Aquino SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Judge Sharon Reardon and…
SF District Attorney Boudin Announces Domestic Violence Guilty Verdict in Effort to Uplift Victims
By Elina Lingappa SAN FRANCISCO, CA – District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced that a jury reached a…
SF Jury Finds Fresno Man Not Guilty of Murder, Believed Public Defender Argument He Acted Out of Self Defense
By Vanguard Staff SAN FRANCISCO, CA – A Fresno man accused of murder—and, because of backlog caused…
Charges Dropped against Black Lives Matter Protestor; Prosecutor Warns against Danger of Laser Pointers
By Ned Meiners SAN FRANCISCO, CA – All charges were dropped against Yusuf Labib, a Black Lives…
Police Brutality Demonstrator Claims SF Police Attacked Him, But He’s on Trial for Allegedly Assaulting Officer with Laser Pointer
By Ned Meiners SAN FRANCISCO, CA – In March, Yusuf Labib attended a Black Lives Matter protest…
SF Jury Finds Military Vet ‘Not Guilty’ of Embarcadero Attacks; Public Defender Showed Vet was ‘Unconscious,’ had ‘Mental Health Crisis’
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – U.S. military veteran George Kennedy was found not guilty of two felony assault…