DA Jenkins Blasts Judge Hill for Releasing Seven in Pier 39 Beating

Near Pier 39, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins sharply criticized a visiting Superior Court judge after the judge ordered the release of seven men charged in a violent attack that left a man unconscious while he walked with his fiancée and their infant child. Jenkins said the victim suffered severe injuries, including an alleged brain bleed, and called the decision a public safety failure: "If these men don't pose a public safety risk, then I don't know who does."

Court filings show the seven defendants pleaded not guilty to assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury. Their initial appearances came four days after the alleged attack, and the release was ordered by a visiting judge identified only by the surname Hill, who retired from Santa Barbara County Superior Court. The records available in coverage do not specify conditions of release such as cash bail, pretrial supervision, or electronic monitoring.

Jenkins framed the Pier 39 case as a turning point for her office, saying it represented a "shift" after her team had "mostly been successful in obtaining detention for allegedly violent offenders." She added a blunt challenge to the court's judgment in this instance: "What more did they need to do, kill him?" Those comments follow a pattern of public rebukes by Jenkins of judicial decisions in San Francisco criminal cases.

At a Tenderloin Public Safety Town Hall, Jenkins again faulted the courts for how they handle repeat offenders and drug cases, saying "The courts are the biggest barrier." She was flanked on the panel by SFPD Chief Bill Scott and Sheriff Paul Miyamoto and told the audience that repeat and chronic offenders return to the street quickly: "We do everything we can and you can see the same person out on the street the same day. Repeat and chronic offenders are selling the most deadly substance we’ve seen in this city." Jenkins also cited a figure she attributed to detention decisions, saying judges denied requests to detain suspects "in all but 16 out of 100 cases."

Critics of Jenkins' public statements point to a separate March 31 press release from the district attorney's office that charged 34-year-old Francis Rivas-Garay with felony counts for allegedly possessing fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine with intent to sell. Those critics say Jenkins' public criticisms have at times omitted discussion of legal standards that guide pretrial detention decisions, such as the Humphrey standard and pretrial assessment factors, and have raised questions about judicial independence.

Legal observers note judges are generally prohibited from commenting on pending or impending cases, a constraint that could limit any public defense from Judge Hill about the decision to release the seven defendants. Last year, a State Bar disciplinary reviewer rejected a former judge's complaint about Jenkins' public remarks, noting that attorneys can be punished for false statements or other misconduct but not for expressing their opinions.

The district attorney's office laid out allegations in court documents referenced at the defendants' initial appearances; further details about the charging instrument, the defendants' identities, and the specific terms of release were not provided in the filings disclosed in coverage. The Pier 39 case has crystallized a broader local debate over pretrial detention, prosecutorial pressure, and judicial discretion in San Francisco's criminal courts.