Subject:

Criminal Trials

  • Blogs

    March 16, 2012

    Ross Mirkarimi Plea Crisis Is 'Political Posturing,' Expert Says

    ​San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón roiled the calming waters in the domestic-violence case against Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi yesterday, telling the editorial board of the San Francisco Chronicle he has doubts about proceeding with a plea bargain struck earlier this week because Mirkarimi ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 27, 2012

    Why Our DA Probably Won't Press Charges Against Driver Who Plowed Over Pedestrian

    In the never-ending urban war between pedestrians and drivers, city walkers will be upset to hear about their latest defeat: The District Attorney's Office is not poised to press criminal charges against the shuttle driver who carelessly plowed over a man with a cane sauntering through a Tenderloin ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 24, 2012

    Ross Mirkarimi Refuses to Step Aside Amid Domestic Violence Charges

    ​After a brief and "cordial" meeting with Mayor Ed Lee today, Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi told reporters that he absolutely refuses to step aside amid allegations that he physically abused his wife during a New Year's Eve dispute. The mayor -- who has the authority to suspend the sheriff -- met with Mi ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 20, 2012

    Giselle Esteban, "Jealous" Woman Accused of Killing Michelle Le, Pleads Not Guilty

    ​Giselle Esteban, the 27-year-old woman accused of killing her former classmate, Michelle Le, appeared in court today where she pleaded not guilty to murder charges. The Union City woman, who recently gave birth to her second child while in jail, was reportedly ordered to appear in court on Feb. 1 ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 11, 2012

    Frederick Dozier, Rape Suspect, Appears in Court, Community Raises Money for Victims

    ​Frederick A. Dozier, the former school district employee and suspected rapist, appeared in court today where he was charged with 26 felony counts, including rape, robbery, and attempted murder. Police say Dozier, 32, confessed to the rapes, and DNA evidence has linked him to all three sexual assa ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 6, 2011

    Robert Tunnell, Former San Francisco Attorney, Admits to Ponzi Scheme

    I lost thousands, and all I got was this crummy t-shirt.​A former San Francisco attorney with a tony resume recently pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud in federal court for operating a Ponzi scheme that targeted his own friends and family.Robert Tunnell, Jr., a septuagenarian alumnus ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 6, 2011

    Husband and Wife Charged with Sex Trafficking Teens

    Husband and wife busted​A Federal Grand Jury indicted a Bay Area couple, charging the pair with conspiring to traffic teenage girls and force them to provide sex acts to customers in exchange for money and drugs.According to United States Attorney Melinda Haag, Mahendar "Mike" Singh, 40, and his w ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 5, 2011

    Judge Unseals Secret Court Records Detailing Alleged DNA Lab Cover-Up

    Rockne Harmon co-authored a controversial internal memo on crime lab problems​A judge unsealed court records today detailing a whistle-blower's allegations that police and prosecutors might have been involved in an orchestrated effort to mislead auditors about the state of the San Francisco Police ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 13, 2011

    Guilty Verdict, but No Hate-Crime Conviction, in Assault on Mexican Citizens in Tenderloin

    ​Two white men were convicted of assaulting two Mexican citizens outside a Tenderloin bar, although a jury did not buy prosecutors' allegations that the assault was racially motivated and constituted a hate crime, the office of District Attorney George Gascón announced today.The case stemmed from ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 27, 2011

    DA Candidates Ramp Up Attacks on George Gascón over Efforts to Conceal DNA Lab Memo

    Photo courtesy Sharmin Bock for District AttorneyBill Fazio, David Onek, and Sharmin Bock speak to reporters at City Hall​Candidates attempting to unseat District Attorney George Gascón in the November election held a press conference today in an effort to draw attention to Gascón's continued ef ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 26, 2011

    DA's Office to Appeal Judge's Order Unsealing DNA Lab Memo

    George Gascón​Prosecutors in the office of District Attorney George Gascón have decided to appeal a judge's order that they release an internal memo detailing problems with DNA analysis in the San Francisco Police Department crime lab.The San Francisco Chronicle reported on Saturday that the DA' ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 21, 2011

    Over Prosecutor's Objections, Judge Says He Is 'Compelled by Law' to Release DNA Lab Memo

    ​A judge rejected a prosecutor's pleas today that he reconsider his decision to release a controversial secret memo criticizing the San Francisco Police Department crime lab, stating that he is "compelled by law" to share the document with defense attorneys.In his rulings, San Francisco Superior C ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 15, 2011

    City Attorney Says DNA Lab Memo Is Exempt from Public Records Act

    Rockne Harmon co-authored a controversial internal memo on crime lab problems​We reported Tuesday that City Attorney Dennis Herrera's office, contrary to assertions made at a public debate last week by District Attorney George Gascón, had not provided an opinion as to whether a controversial inte ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 13, 2011

    City Attorney Contradicts DA George Gascón's Statements on DNA Lab Memo

    George Gascón​The San Francisco City Attorney's Office yesterday contradicted statements District Attorney George Gascón made last week about why his office has refused to release an internal memo criticizing the DNA unit of the city's troubled police crime lab.The memo, which was authored by na ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 12, 2011

    More Bait Car Cases Dismissed in San Francisco Court

    Gotcha. Or actually, not really. ​A year after truTV's Bait Car rolled into town to catch San Franciscans on camera "stealing" vehicles, more than half of the resulting criminal cases have been dismissed, the public defender's office says. We wrote a cover story on the police department's money-ma ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 28, 2011

    Ernest Scherer III, Bay Area Gambler, Killed Parents to Get Inheritance, Jury Says

    Ernest Scherer III​A jury today found Ernest Scherer III guilty of killing his parents, saying he murdered them so he could access his inheritance early and pay down mounting poker debts. In March 2008, Scherer was arrested on suspicion of murder after the bodies of Ernest Scherer Jr., 60, and Cha ... More >>

  • News

    March 16, 2011

    U-Visa: Illegal Immigrants Become Legal Residents Via Crime Victimization

    Ernest Scherer III​A jury today found Ernest Scherer III guilty of killing his parents, saying he murdered them so he could access his inheritance early and pay down mounting poker debts. In March 2008, Scherer was arrested on suspicion of murder after the bodies of Ernest Scherer Jr., 60, and Cha ... More >>

  • News

    March 2, 2011

    California Family Courts Helping Pedophiles, Batterers Get Child Custody

    Ernest Scherer III​A jury today found Ernest Scherer III guilty of killing his parents, saying he murdered them so he could access his inheritance early and pay down mounting poker debts. In March 2008, Scherer was arrested on suspicion of murder after the bodies of Ernest Scherer Jr., 60, and Cha ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 6, 2011

    DA's Office Belatedly Mails Memo Criticizing Crime Lab to Defense Lawyers

    Kamala Harris​Questions About Secrecy Surrounding Document PersistThe San Francisco District Attorney's Office has quietly begun supplying criminal defense lawyers with an internal memo that criticizes the work of the San Francisco Police Department Crime lab's DNA Unit.The document, obtained by S ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 21, 2010

    Gay Grifter Case: Palm Springs Jury Weighs Murder Charges Against San Francisco Attorney

    David Replogle has seen better days​A Palm Springs jury today weighs evidence against a downtown San Francisco attorney and his alleged henchman, after a prosecutor entered closing arguments claiming lawyer David Replogle and Miguel Bustamante helped murder retiree Clifford Lambert and loot his as ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 17, 2010

    Prosecutor: Crime Lab Produced 'Misleading' Report Implicating Murder Suspects

    Rockne Harmon​District Attorney Releases Critique of DNA Evidence in 2007 HomicideA highly regarded prosecutor and DNA expert who was employed for three years at the San Francisco District Attorney's office authored a critique of work at the San Francisco Police Department crime lab earlier this y ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 14, 2010

    A Timeline of Problems at the SFPD DNA Lab

    ​Through reporting over the past month, SF Weekly has uncovered multiple instances of scientifically and ethically questionable conduct by DNA analysts at the San Francisco Police Department Crime Laboratory. Our findings focus on two lapses in particular: the destruction of records of a potential ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 10, 2010

    DNA Lab Fallout: Lawyers Ask Judge to Dismiss Rape Cases Over Sample Switch

    ​Two San Francisco defense attorneys are asking that their clients' rape cases be dismissed because of a DNA sample mix-up -- and its subsequent concealment -- at the San Francisco Police Department crime lab in 2008.The cases may be the first to be directly affected by the latest lab scandal, whi ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 5, 2010

    DA Kamala Harris' Challenge to Crime Lab Ruling Rejected

    Kamala -- you've been judged.​Prosecutors in the office of District Attorney Kamala Harris have failed in their efforts to prove a bias claim against the judge who reprimanded the DA's office for its handling of a scandal at the San Francisco Police Department's drug-testing lab. In May, San Franc ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 15, 2010

    Judge Dismisses Juror For Sleeping During Oscar Grant Murder Trial

    A murder trial is no time for a siesta​Anybody who's ever watched trial proceedings in a stuffy, poorly lit courtroom as 2 p.m. rolls around knows it can be tough to stay awake for the administration of justice. But the nap-inducing tedium of the courtroom is apparently proving to be a serious pro ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 17, 2010

    Teacher Accused Of Lewd Acts Is A Hit With Students Online

    Accused of doing more than teaching music...​A Visitacion Valley Middle School music teacher is accused of being the teacher from hell for three students whom prosecutors allege he touched and invited over to his residence. But in cyberspace, kids love him. On ratemyteachers.com, Terry Braye is cu ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 5, 2010

    White Separatists' Alleged Attackers Enter Their Pleas

    Know your anarchists! ​When the Average Joe thinks of an anarchist, he thinks of white folks dressed in black who break windows at World Trade Organization summits. But there's more sects of self-proclaimed anarchists than varieties of Heinz condiments -- and two diametrically opposed groups are n ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 4, 2010

    D.A. Kamala Harris Doesn't Know How Many S.F. Cops Are Also Criminals

    ​You heard that right: San Francisco District Attorney and Police Chief George Gascon said at a press conference this afternoon that they don't know how many police officers in San Francisco have past criminal convictions.The press conference came in the wake of damaging revelations in the San Fra ... More >>

  • News

    December 23, 2009

    Catch and release: Did the SFPD lose track of a star witness?

    ​You heard that right: San Francisco District Attorney and Police Chief George Gascon said at a press conference this afternoon that they don't know how many police officers in San Francisco have past criminal convictions.The press conference came in the wake of damaging revelations in the San Fra ... More >>

  • Music

    September 24, 2008

    Bouncers Gone Wild

    Despite increasing regulation, clubs don't always check their bouncers' backgrounds.

  • News

    May 21, 2008

    Snitch

    Deanna Johnson testified against a murderer to save her son. But in the projects, truth comes at a price.

  • News

    November 14, 2007

    Convicted Embezzler Linda Simwa Cons SF Symphony, UCSF

    Deanna Johnson testified against a murderer to save her son. But in the projects, truth comes at a price.

  • News

    July 18, 2007

    Lawyers Behaving Badly

    Featured Stories

  • News

    February 14, 2007

    Stained Rep

    Featured Stories

  • News

    February 7, 2007

    Pay to Play

    The son of a world—renowned chef says he wanted to reform the phone industry. The feds say he wanted to get rich quick.

  • News

    April 6, 2005

    Fajita the Night

    Were the cops really innocent of assault, or is our DA's Office just lame?

  • News

    October 29, 2003

    Case Study: Christopher Taylor

    Taylor's lawyer was suspended from practicing during the robbery trial.

  • News

    October 29, 2003

    Innocence Arrested

    Albert Johnson was exonerated for a crime he didn't commit, but not before spending over a decade in prison. Why guiltless people get jailed -- and how to stop it.

  • News

    June 25, 2003

    Prosecutors' Patience Wears Thin With Levada, Mahony

    Albert Johnson was exonerated for a crime he didn't commit, but not before spending over a decade in prison. Why guiltless people get jailed -- and how to stop it.

  • News

    November 14, 2001

    Law and Borders

    Prosecutors, judges, governors, a sex offender, and a woman with a penchant for poor judgement entangle California and Texas in an epic child custody war with two sure losers -- aged 7 and 9.

  • News

    October 13, 1999

    Charmed

    The amazing transformation of Carmen Policy, defender of mobsters, babysitter to flashy kid moguls, and now savior of the Cleveland Browns

  • Calendar

    June 16, 1999

    Cothran

    The amazing transformation of Carmen Policy, defender of mobsters, babysitter to flashy kid moguls, and now savior of the Cleveland Browns

  • News

    February 3, 1999

    Madam I Am

    Raeshel Keavy ran one of the city's most sophisticated and profitable prostitution rings. She was safe until she strayed from San Francisco.

  • News

    January 13, 1999

    Panic or Attack?

    Did this aspiring cover boy, who says he killed in a panic fit brought on by unwanted gay advances, get away with murder?

  • Calendar

    December 30, 1998

    Cothran

    Did this aspiring cover boy, who says he killed in a panic fit brought on by unwanted gay advances, get away with murder?

  • News

    October 29, 1997

    School of Scandal

    U.S. alleges $3 million fraud at Oakland's Laney College; 400 "students" involved

  • News

    December 6, 1995

    Hallinan's Right Cross

    The narrow bandwidth of San Francisco politics makes most elections a contest between liberals. The DA's race, which pitted prosecutor Bill Fazio against centrist Arlo Smith and progressive Terence Hallinan, promised to change all that. But when Fazio zig

  • News

    October 25, 1995

    Cops vs. Cops

    Can a credible case be built against errant cops if the witnesses are involved in the drug trade?

  • News

    July 5, 1995

    City Slackers

    A guide toSan Francisco political corruption -past, present, and future

  • News

    March 15, 1995

    Cyperpornocopia

    Milpitas residents Carleen and Robert Thomas found a lucrative way to sell the hardest of hardcorepornography to smut fans all over the country: by computer bulletin board. Then their little Silicon Valley startup attracted the interest of a U.S. Postal S

  • More >>
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