Fresh off the heels of his packed swearing-in ceremony, San Francisco's newest district attorney is already shaking things up — or, rather, sweeping them away — firing at least six prosecutors yesterday afternoon.
In a move akin to when Terence Hallinan was elected district attorney in 1995 and promptly fired 14 attorneys, the Chronicle reported Friday that Chesa Boudin had let go of at least a half-dozen prosecutors, a small percentage to the city's 135.
“I had to make difficult staffing decisions today in order to put in place a management team that will help me accomplish the work I committed to doing for San Francisco,” Boudin said in a statement published by the media outlet.
According to the Chronicle, the following attorneys, many of which are senior to serving SF, were released:
- Michael Swart, managing attorney of the office’s Homicide Unit
- Todd Barrett, managing attorney in the General Felonies Unit
- Linda Allen, another managing attorney in the General Felonies Unit
- Ana Gonzalez, managing attorney in the office’s Gang Unit
- Tom Ostly, a trial attorney in the Crime Strategies Unit
- Kara Lacey, a felony trial attorney
Boudin apparently called each of the fired prosecutors into his office, one by one, to deliver the news. And those that already left for the day were given a phone call.
The Chronicle notes that some of the prosecutors are seeking legal action amidst their sudden, swift firings. Though, none of this should come as much of a surprise given that Boudin’s campaign promised to fix and overhaul a "broken justice system," focusing on both racial equality and representation.
Boudin was elected DA of San Francisco in a razor-sharp election this past November, ousting Suzy Loftus by over 2,000 counted votes on his unapologetically progressive platform.
Related: Chesa Boudin’s Win Sets Off Twitter Wars, Uncertainty Over When He’ll Be Sworn In
Chesa Boudin Swearing-In Draws Progressive Icons, Video Address From Justice Sonia Sotomayor
Image: Courtesy of @BrandonHarami
