His close-up view of the criminal justice system shaped his career as a public defender who vowed to make sweeping reforms if elected to serve as the city’s top prosecutor. By electing Boudin, San Francisco voters added to a nationwide wave of victories by district attorney candidates who promised a radical departure from the punitive, law-and-order policies of the past. AdvertisementBoudin described his victory as a bellwether in the liberal movement to refocus the criminal justice system on rehabilitation rather than punishment. The political environment of San Francisco is different from that of other cities, said Jason McDaniel, a political science professor at San Francisco State University. “Will they get buy-in from the rank-and-file workers in the criminal justice system, the D.A.s, the sheriff?” he said.

Source: Los Angeles Times November 11, 2019 05:21 UTC