NEIGHBORHOOD COURT

This is the fifth in a series that deals with an authentically chaotic criminal justice system found in nearly every large community in California, if not in the entire Western world. My focus is specifically on our city of San Francisco where the District Attorney, George Gascón, has launched a pilot program, called Neighborhood Court. As the DA likes to say, “As a restorative justice program, Neighborhood Courts will strengthen communities undermined by criminal activity.” I think the DA can pull it off.

It is my intention in these reports to promote public confidence in the integrity of the Neighborhood Court process. Call it a cause, even a mission if you’d like. Whatever you call it, it is my passion to describe it to you. To be in close and to be able to witness the birth of an important evolution in our judicial system is significant enough to gain my full attention as a freelance writer.

Who knows? This might be so much fun that I will want to take on the state of our public education system in the spring of 2012.

The responsibility being the Prosecutor of this ambitious pilot program is huge. Ultimately, the DA placed the entire task onto the shoulders of one person. As we all can easily imagine, in that capacity it becomes a critical point of contact because each and every cited individual will meet with the Prosecutor. How many is that? Well, in the Mission and Bayview districts for example, police issue between 30 and 50 citations a day. Those who receive one will be given two choices - a court date in six weeks or a chance to see the Prosecutor immediately. So before the offender appears before the panelists at neighborhood court, he's already admitted his guilt and expressed his interest in wiping the crime off his record. Commit the crime today, see the Prosecutor tomorrow and be in neighborhood court quickly. That is what is promised. That is what is required to make this work. We are off to a good start, let me tell you.

More case studies next time.

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