Over 550 people’s trial deadlines have passed; Over 150 of them are still in jail. Hundreds more are in line behind them.
On September 16th, our mock trial and press rally captured the attention of local news outlets who turned up to hear ‘testimony’ from public defenders, community members, and those directly impacted by the trial delays in San Francisco Superior Court — which continues to violate people’s Constitutional right to a speedy trial. Hundreds of people who are presumed innocent remain in jail, sometimes waiting for months beyond their deadline for trial. Many who are out of custody awaiting trial are forced to wear electronic ankle monitors that subject them to 24-hr surveillance and anytime searches. These community members are presumed innocent, yet are being caged and shackled indefinitely. That’s why we’re demanding that the San Francisco Superior Court hold criminal trials in any and all available venues to address the alarming trial backlog that continues to grow and harm individuals and their families.
The San Francisco Standard ran a report by Garrett Leahy: Locked In SF Jails Indefinitely: Release of 150 Demanded as Speedy Trial Rights Denied
The San Francisco Examiner ran a story by Sydney Johnson on the front page, above the fold: Courts are open, but trial dates keep slipping — 150 defendants languish in jail, hundreds more on outside not getting right to speedy trial
