Across major cities, voters picked reform-minded district attorneys who promised to fight mass incarceration. Now, conservatives in both parties are trying to take them out.
By Akela Lacy, The Intercept
Do you know the name of the district attorney in Sacramento, California? “A career prosecutor with 31 years of law enforcement experience,” her website boasts, Anne Marie Schubert is known for “prosecuting some of the area’s most notorious and dangerous criminals — murderers, rapists and child molesters.”
In 2018, her office helped secure a plea deal and reduced charges in a case of assault and kidnapping. Earlier this year, the man went on to become a suspect in a mass shooting that left six people dead. A former Republican running for California attorney general as an independent, Schubert blamed criminal justice reforms for a decision her office made, and the case has not dogged her tough-on-crime campaign.
What about the name of the chief of the San Francisco Police Department? The infamously expensive city has been the focus of national media for months, as a population priced out of a comfortable life struggles with homelessness, an epidemic of drug addiction, and takes blame from the rich for an uptick in some violent and petty crimes. Fox News plays clips of shoplifting sprees at San Francisco drug stores on loop, yet the police and its chief – who last year solved fewer crimes in every category they track – barely warrant a mention, even though crime fighting is literally their job.
Recent Posts
Insurgent Candidate Victories Highlight Growing Movement Against Corporate & Elite Power: John Nichols
Take Action Now We continue to look at the results of those primary elections, with The Nation’s John Nichols calling it “a very good night for…
The Democratic party chair is a handy scapegoat. But the party’s problems are much bigger
Take Action Now Much of the criticism of Ken Martin is deserved. But his actions are symptomatic of a party that fails to listen to the grassroots…
From El Paso to ICE: When Anti-Immigrant Hate Becomes Government Policy
Take Action Now Is there a difference between trying to kill us and not caring if we live or die?By Unai Montes-Irueste, LA Progressive On August…
Thin-Skinned and Heavy Handed, The Trump Hypocrites like Marco “McCarthy” Rubio Are Wrong Again—on Cuba and Where “Terrorism” is Coming From
Take Action Now Those Who Challenge and Protest U.S. Policies Are Not Terrorists, and They Are Certainly NOT Paid By Other GovernmentsBy Former…