Kamala Harris

Medical Cannabis Advocates to Rally in Statewide Protest Against the Feds

Medical cannabis supporters will rally in front of the San Francisco Federal Building at noon today, joining Sacramento and Los Angeles to protest the feds' nonstop stonewalling of California medical marijuana laws. Rally organizers are urging protesters to contact California Attorney General Kamal ... More >>

CA Supreme Court: Marijuana Dispensaries Can Be Banned, But At Least They're Legal

At least one major roadbloack in the way of medical cannabis reform in California was removed Monday when the California Supreme Court issued a long-awaited ruling -- which says that cities and towns can ban pot clubs. For now. At least 200 places across the state -- including San Mateo County an ... More >>

Storefront Marijuana Dispensaries Are Definitely Legal

In this uncertain reality of ours, the last place to look for a nugget of truth is the gray area laden world of medical marijuana. But the California Supreme Court gifted us all an unexpected dose of certainty this week by refusing to do anything.Earlier, Attorney General Kamala Harris and other law ... More >>

Arizona Group's Mega-Donation Illuminates Loophole in California's Finance Laws

Yesterday's $11 million disclosure was a mild win for campaign finance transparency. The names of the actual people who spent that money will remain unknown. But, as Attorney General Kamala Harris noted, we do know that the money passed through a group with "an affiliation with the Koch brothers." ... More >>

"Landmark" Medical Marijuana Dispensary Ruling May Hurt Feds

A court ruling in San Diego could hinder the federal Justice Department's war on California's legal cannabis industry.In what cannabis advocates called a "landmark ruling," an appeals court in San Diego tossed out a dispensary operator's drug-dealing conviction. Jovan Jackson was found guilty of mar ... More >>

Supervisor John Avalos Tries to Stop Foreclosures with New Legislation

​While in New York City, Occupy protesters celebrated their 6-month of anniversary with mass arrests in Zuccotti Park, protesters in San Francisco are celebrating their anti-big bank existence with legislation that will, hopefully, put an end to these egregious home foreclosures citywide Occupy Be ... More >>

BREAKING: San Francisco Suspends Medical Marijuana Licensing Program Indefinitely

​San Francisco city officials indefinitely suspended the city's medical marijuana dispensary permitting program on Wednesday, according to the Department of Public Health.Pending permits had been on hold since December, after a ruling in a state appeals court case halted similar permitting program ... More >>

People Aren't Killing Each Other as Much in California

Fewer opporuntities to say "redrum" in California ​Despite all the horrible crises we read about every day (budget, education, etc), Californians have much to be proud of -- the scenic beauty, the diverse culture, and get this: We aren't killing each other as much as we used to. According to Gener ... More >>

Obama Dodges S.F. Protesters, Leaves Through Side Door

Flickr/Steve RhodesAaaaand, scene!​President Has Yet to Publicly Address Medical Marijuana CrackdownPresidential visits are a big deal, even in big cities like San Francisco: As president, George W. Bush never visited us. But after President Barack Obama's reception Tuesday -- where some prominent ... More >>

Crime Lab Confidential: DA and SFPD Withheld Damaging Memo About DNA Lab Failings

Is David Chiu Medical Marijuana's New Best Friend?

Photo by Greg DewarPedaling for pot​A funny thing happened to Board of Supervisors President David Chiu last night, while making his evening round of speeches.Somebody asked him for pot."You got the compassion? Who's got weed?" asked an attendee of yesterday's monthly dinner/medical cannabis givea ... More >>

Royal Wedding Is Over: Bombastic Weddings We Want To See

The bride wore white - and oil drilling boots. The groom wore freedom.​We're rather relieved that the royal wedding happened while we were sleeping and the media pandemonium is coming to a ceremonious close. Did anyone this side of the Atlantic even care to begin with? Now that the bedlam is over, ... More >>

D.A. Candidate David Onek Backed by Investigative Journalist Sy Hersh

Gay Couples Can't Get Married ... Still

Nope​There will be no white weddings for gay couples -- at least not yet. A San Francisco federal court ruled today that same-sex marriages would not be allowed while courts decide whether Proposition 8 -- the state's ban on gay marriage -- is constitutional or not. It's another blow for same-sex ... More >>

Top State Forensic Analyst under Fire for Defending Disgraced NC Crime Lab

​The top forensics official at California's Department of Justice has come under attack for public statements defending controversial practices at a crime lab in North Carolina.Jill Spriggs, chief of the DOJ's Bureau of Forensic Services, appeared before a panel of North Carolina legislators a few ... More >>

Identity Thief Used Facebook to Steal Women's Nude Photos; Victims Claim 'Virtual Rape'

​A 23-year-old computer hacker in the Sacramento Valley burg of Citrus Heights has pleaded guilty to seven felony charges stemming from an ingenious scheme to hack into women's email accounts -- with the help of information available on Facebook -- and gain access to their nude photos.In a ploy th ... More >>

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 >>

SFPD crime lab's DNA evidence could be tainted by concealed mistakes

Teresa Caffese, Chief Attorney at Public Defender's Office, to Step Down

Teresa Caffese​The highest ranking non-elected official at the San Francisco Public Defender's office is departing at the end of this year to start her own law practice.Teresa Caffese, who has worked at the Public Defender's office for 23 years, will be leaving at the end of this month. As chief a ... More >>

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 >>

Exclusive: Prosecutor Says DA Is Sitting on His Report Critical of Crime Lab

Rockne Harmon​DA's Office Denies Memo's Existence, But Prosecutor and DNA Expert Says He Wrote It in MarchOne of the nation's foremost DNA experts says he wrote an in-house report for the San Francisco District Attorney's office criticizing the DNA unit of the San Francisco Police Department Crime ... More >>

Printing Company Charged in Pregnant Worker's Death Paid Large Civil Settlement

​The San Francisco printing company charged with involuntary manslaughter and violating labor laws for the 2008 death of an employee has already paid at least $1.5 million in a civil lawsuit resulting from the incident, court records show.Digital Pre-Press International, located at Mariposa and Te ... More >>

Key witness in Chris Brymer hate crime case contradicts cops

Damir Shalako, Alleged Rapist, In Court Today

Damir Shalako, whose facial tattoo reads 'SF,' is currently incarcerated here​Damir Shalako, the 25-year-old rape suspect whose tattooed visage may have helped end his status as a fugitive, will be showing his face in a San Francisco courtroom this morning. The parolee on Monday pleaded not guilty ... More >>

Did AG Candidate Steve Cooley Let Bell Police Chief Off the Hook?

Peace Officers Association of L.A. CountySteve Cooley, left, handed disgraced Bell Police Chief Randy Adams an award in 2008. Did he do so again by not prosecuting him?​Will the bell toll for Randy Adams? A group of incensed SoCal cops are sure hoping so. Our sister publication, LA Weekly is repor ... More >>

Kamala Harris Kept Felon's Donation While Insisting Opponent Return Tainted Funds

Don't worry Kamala. Tyra still loves you. ​While attorney general candidate Kamala Harris spent the past three weeks denouncing her opponent Steve Cooley for accepting tainted campaign donations, it turns out her campaign kitty contained $1,250 from ex-Democratic moneyman Norman Hsu -- now serving ... More >>

Steve Cooley's Potential Finance Scandal Ignites Kamala Harris Press Storm

Steve Cooley is accused of taking funny money from not-so-funny people​San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris has wasted no time jumping on a report by our sister paper, LA Weekly, accusing her opponent in the state Attorney General's race of hypocrisy. The article, which ran yesterday, not ... More >>

Marijuana-Legalizing Proposition 19 Gets Greenlight From California Young Democrats

Bill St. ClairThe young are restless...​Supporters of Proposition 19 -- the Tax Cannabis 2010 legislation -- were bummed this weekend when California's Democratic Party opted to make no endorsement on the measure and stay neutral. But when it comes to marijuana, the kids are all right. California ... More >>

Face-Stabbing Cop Peeves Public Defender

sfpublicdefender.orgJeff Adachi, public defender​The current hoopla at the Hall of Justice over non-disclosure of police officers' violent histories continued Monday, when Public Defender Jeff Adachi issued a terse press release asking why on earth his department wasn't told a cop involved in a ca ... More >>

List: The best democracy money can buy

SF Weekly Letters

Wiped-Clean Slate: The Bay Guardian's (fake) election endorsements

Spokesman For Embattled DA Kamala Harris: I'm Outta Here

We won't have Brian Buckelew to kick around anymore ... unless we're judges and juries​After answering media queries on former crime lab tech Deborah Madden and her cohorts snorting the evidence and, ahem, some rather critical media coverage, the spokesman for embattled District Attorney Kamala Ha ... More >>

Willie's World: The wisdom of S.F.'s ex-mayor

Sacramento Bee: Harris Fibs on Conviction Rate

​Attorney General candidate and San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris' new TV ad boasting of high conviction rates "does not tell the whole story," the Sacramento Bee reports this morning.No kidding.SF Weekly's Peter Jamison reported May 5 on "an alarming decline in felony trial conviction ... More >>

Your Rundown on the Week in S.F. Government

A Tea Party slogan unknown in San Franciso government​Should be a fun week -- the Board of Supervisors is weighing in on the fiasco involving narcotics analysis at the San Francisco Police Department crime lab, the Police Commission is trying to reform its process for disciplining wayward officers ... More >>

Your Rundown on the Week in S.F. Government

Plastic bags have unintended consequences​San Francisco public officials love -- and we mean really, really love -- to dabble in bold social experiments. Whether they're trying out a novel scheme for government-controlled electricity service, legally enshrining the right of cats to keep their nail ... More >>

Hit Pieces: Demon Sheep, Candidate Inc., Gavin Newsom & Bill O'Reilly Smitten

Quick political bytes from the week that went down easy. Carly Fiorina's bizarre attack ad against her Republican primary opponent for senate, Tom Campbell: An evil furry dressed like a sheep who wants to raise your taxes. This video has gone totally viral. People are e-mailing it around and t ... More >>

Speier Not Running for AG, Horde of Upwardly Mobile Pols Staying Put

Rep. Jackie Speier, seen here with Stephen Colbert, will continue her ride in Washington, D.C. ​Rep. Jackie Speier's newly minted spokesman Nathan Ballard just informed the world that his boss will not be leaving Congress to run for state Attorney General. Congressional seats rarely open -- especi ... More >>

Cops Will Soon Pick Up Truant Kids, Drive Them To Referral Center. Just Don't Call It 'An Arrest.'

Whack! Backlash for truant kids a'comin​Kids cutting class to wander around the city will soon face a new hurdle: the police. Mayor Gavin Newsom announced today that the cops will soon be picking up kids playing hooky and dropping them off at a new referral center, where students will be bombarded ... More >>

At the Jersey Shore, Everybody Has a Nickname. Even San Francisco Politicians

Yes, San Francisco's politics suffers from bouts of dysfunction. But let's face it: The exploits of the boys and girls at City Hall can't hold a candle to the high drama on display in MTV's new blockbuster reality series, Jersey Shore. The show features an eight-count of self-styled "guidos" and "gu ... More >>

S.F. taxpayers may be struck with the legal tab for a failed Ingleside murder case

Public Defender Says Tenderloin Drug Sweep Spells Trouble for Court System

​No sooner had newly minted San Francisco Police Chief George Gascon declared a much-publicized sweep of drug dealers in the city's notoriously crime-ridden Tenderloin neighborhood than doubters began speaking up. After all, as San Francisco Chronicle columnists Matier and Ross noted recently, mak ... More >>

Voter Turnout Predicted at 25 Percent This (Non)Election

Grave Injustice

Late SF rapper Madd Maxx's debut CD is out--and so is his killer

District Attorney Files Criminal Charges Against Supervisor Ed Jew

Olive Woo Murphy 1/08/03 – 3/29/06

Legal Pirouette

Marin County DA Ed Berberian switches his office's position, agreeing to Catholic Church demands to withhold sex-abuse documents from the press

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