"We're spread so thin that nobody's really been given the opportunity to be adequately trained for some of the assignments that we're sent off to. The situation hasn't gotten any better, and our concerns are the same, and they're growing. Staffing shortages have existed for years in the criminal division and are being exacerbated as the San Francisco district attorney's office files more cases."
"Overburdened clerks have been put in positions that have led to paperwork errors, with consequences like keeping someone in custody longer than they need to be, or a person's sentence being incorrectly reflected. Nothing catastrophic has happened yet, but the union expressed concern about potential serious consequences from continued understaffing."
"City data shows that District Attorney Brooke Jenkins filed 8,400 cases in 2025, compared to about 5,600 in 2021, during former District Attorney Chesa Boudin's last full year on the job, demonstrating significant increase in caseload pressures on court operations."
San Francisco's Superior Court experienced major operational disruption when 200 clerical workers began an open-ended strike on Thursday. The union, SEIU Local 1021, cited persistent staffing shortages, inadequate training opportunities, and unsustainable workloads as primary concerns. Criminal court clerk Rob Borders noted that staffing problems have existed for years and worsened as the district attorney's office increased case filings from 5,600 in 2021 to 8,400 in 2025. Overburdened clerks have made paperwork errors with serious consequences, including extended custody periods and incorrect sentence documentation. The union raised these concerns during contract negotiations since last year without reaching resolution. Cases have been dropped due to missed constitutional deadlines, and the public defender's office has rejected felony cases due to similar understaffing issues.
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