San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has expanded her office's policy to prosecute juveniles as adults under broader circumstances than she previously stated during her 2022 campaign. Initially, Jenkins pledged to do so only for particularly heinous crimes like murder and rape. However, at a recent Juvenile Probation Commission meeting, she announced that her office would now review all murder charges involving juveniles for potential transfer to adult court. This policy shift aims to address community concerns following violent incidents involving youth, even though it contradicts a body of evidence suggesting negative outcomes for youth tried as adults.
“When you are in the position of having to speak to a set of parents whose 15-year-old just got murdered, you have to sit and revisit the policy.”
This move would affect a small number of youth: Between 2020 and 2023, fewer than 100 kids were admitted to juvenile hall for homicide or attempted homicide.
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