{"id":39712,"date":"2025-02-21T13:07:54","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T21:07:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=39712"},"modified":"2025-02-21T13:07:55","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T21:07:55","slug":"new-shoes-baby-steps-and-too-much-to-lose-at-tenderloin-community-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2025\/02\/21\/new-shoes-baby-steps-and-too-much-to-lose-at-tenderloin-community-court\/","title":{"rendered":"New shoes, baby steps, and \u2018too much to lose\u2019 at Tenderloin community court\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"\" by\u00a0ABIGAIL V\u00c2N NEELY<\/a><\/strong> FEBRUARY 20, 2025 (MissionLocal.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rainy
The rain-soaked block of the Tenderloin’s Community Justice Center on Feb. 4, 2025. Photo by Abigail Van Neely.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Comic<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Read Mission Local often?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Help grow our newsroom<\/strong>, joining the hundreds of San Franciscans who support us by giving below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donate today!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael Jordan and Atticus Finch are rarely quoted in tandem. But their wisdom is immortalized side-by-side on a wall of the community courtroom at 575 Polk St. in the Tenderloin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed,\u201d reads one poster quoting the NBA star.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBefore I can live with other folks, I\u2019ve got to live with myself,\u201d reads another, quoting To Kill a Mockingbird<\/em>\u2019s fictional defense attorney. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The thoughts encapsulate the Community Treatment Court, one of the city\u2019s handful of alternative courts for people who commit misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mission<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Want the latest on the Mission and San Francisco? Sign up for our free daily newsletter<\/strong> below.Sign up<\/p>\n\n\n\n

San Francisco has 14 alternative courts; drug, mental health, and young adult court are a few of them<\/a>. But it has just one court for crimes that occur in a specific part of the city; the Community Treatment Court deals with misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies committed in Tenderloin, SoMa, Union Square and Civic Center. For the last 16 years, eligible defendants who complete a treatment plan through this court have had their criminal records cleared. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Court begins at 2 p.m. sharp. This was seared into the memory of all attendees on a recent Tuesday in February, when visitors huddling in the doorway of the grey Polk Street building were pelted by almost horizontal sheets of rain as they waited for the doors to open. No matter; men in soggy black parkas grinned as they dapped up others they recognized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That familiarity is different from the traditional criminal justice system, where a single appearance before a judge can upend everything. Here, defendants begin months-long treatment programs, returning to court every few weeks for check-ins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day-to-day progress is measured in treats, gift cards and understated camaraderie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Illustration by Ronna Raz.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some brave the rain, others are unreachable<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Minutes after the doors opened, the courtrooms\u2019 rows of folding seats filled. The black linoleum floor glistened with damp footprints but, by some magic, the space smelled like vanilla rather than mildew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Michael Begert \u2014 who was, in the March 2024 election<\/a>, unsuccessfully targeted by moneyed tough-on-crime groups<\/a> \u2014 began calling cases and greeting newcomers. \u201cYou look better in green,\u201d he told one man who had been recently released from jail. \u201cI\u2019m glad you made it here. That\u2019s very hard for many people. It gets easier.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of making rulings from a dias, Judge Begert sat at a large table a few feet away from the public defenders and their clients, separated by only a short wooden partition with a plastic bin of candy on top labeled \u201ckudos.\u201d The deputy district attorney sat at the other end of the table, saying little. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several newcomers were sent upstairs to the Community Justice Center\u2019s social services wing, where clinical professionals from the Department of Public Health evaluate what underlying problems may have brought a defendant into the justice system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on this evaluation, they help connect them to substance use, housing, employment, or healthcare services, and determine when they are eligible to graduate. By design, this varies from person to person, said Melanie Kushnir-Pappalardo, the director of San Francisco\u2019s collaborative courts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no finite amount of time a defendant must be in treatment. Similarly, the amount of times they must appear before the court for a check-in varies depending on their progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the next two hours, the room slowly emptied of defendants, who approached the stand in varying degrees of weather-appropriate attire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One woman wore Adidas slides with threadbare yellow socks. Another arrived late in soaked-through Ugg boots. Judge Begert told her to stay safe. \u201cYou too,\u201d she responded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On several occasions, a defendant failed to show up. Some had left their attorney with an explanation: A broken phone, an unforeseen hospital visit, too much rain. Others were unreachable. Whether or not they would be allowed to continue would depend on how much progress they had been making. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Illustration
Illustration by Ronna Raz.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Under new DA, referrals to collaborative courts fall<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, 119 defendants were deferred to the community court, Kushnir-Pappalardo said. 23 graduated, and 45 are still participating this year. She did not have information on the outcomes of the 41 people who failed to complete the program, but noted that those arrested for minor infractions might have already served the amount of time they would have in jail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a dramatic decrease from 2020, when the court saw an average of 777 cases and 216 clients per month, mostly on drug or theft charges. According to the most recent available Community Justice Center report<\/a>, more than 12,000 defendants were involved in the court between 2009 and 2020, completing more than 12,000 hours of community service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At publication time, the court did not have up-to-date data on the program\u2019s overall graduation and recidivism rates. However, a 2022 study by the California Policy Lab<\/a> found, more broadly, that people referred to San Francisco\u2019s diversion programs were less likely to be rearrested and convicted than those processed through the traditional court system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou never know, when you touch somebody, whether you\u2019ve made a difference,\u201d said one defense attorney who has practiced in San Francisco\u2019s alternative courts for years. \u201cOftentimes you haven\u2019t, but sometimes you have.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if the defendant\u2019s life doesn\u2019t dramatically change after the program, the attorney added, there\u2019s always the hope that having their parents in treatment instead of jail will leave their children better off:  \u201cIncrementally, over a period of decades, it\u2019s going to help a lot.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Community Justice Center\u2019s beginnings were controversial. A pet project of then-mayor Gavin Newsom<\/a>, it was approved without any funding<\/a> for public defenders to staff it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, the number of referrals to collaborative courts has dropped<\/a>. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins \u201cregularly refuses\u201d to agree to the diversion of defendants unless they enter a guilty plea, former judge Anthony Kline wrote<\/a> in an op-ed for the Chronicle<\/em>. Attorneys who think they could get a better outcome in traditional criminal court without having to enter a guilty plea are unlikely to recommend one of the collaborative courts, even if their client could benefit from it, several legal professionals told Mission Local<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex, one of the defendants that Tuesday, described her treatment plan as her only \u201cchance and opportunity to better my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it was her turn to appear before Judge Begert, she stepped forward suppressing a smile. \u201cYou seem like you\u2019re in a good mood,\u201d the judge said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed; Alex had set a goal of saving every gift card she received from her treatment program for a clean drug test, until she could afford shoes for herself, her 16-year-old daughter, and her seven-year-old son. After 15 tests, she later recalled, she had $223. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As she nodded, her son sat in the audience, blushing. \u201cWe are very proud of your mom,\u201d Judge Begert said to him. Turning to face Alex, he noted that it seemed she had \u201call the motivation in the world.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She clarified that the young \u201csneakerhead\u201d had not been permitted to wear his new white shoes in the storm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Illustration
Illustration by Ronna Raz.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In addiction together, in jail together, in court together<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Six months ago, Alex said, she was addicted to crystal meth, living on the streets, and to survive, \u201ccommitting crimes without a care.\u201d She met her boyfriend while \u201clooking for someone to go out stealing with.\u201d He was addicted to fentanyl. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They bonded over wanting to get clean, Alex said. They just needed the money to do it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To that end, they broke into a house to steal, not realizing it was the home of a retired judge. Both were arrested. Alex\u2019s boyfriend had a chance to \u201cthrow her under the bus\u201d and take a deal, but refused. According to Alex, he told his lawyer: \u201cWhatever she\u2019s getting, I\u2019m getting too.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex spent three and a half months in jail. She was looking at more than three years in federal prison; even her attorney warned her that her chances of getting out or accepted to an alternative program were \u201cvery slim.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But a psychiatrist said that Alex was eligible for mental health diversion,  a program that allows people with diagnosed disorders to participate in a treatment program for up to two years in lieu of criminal prosecution. Over the district attorney\u2019s objection, a judge referred Alex to community court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If her clinicians determine that she has successfully recovered from addiction, her charges will be dropped. One mistake, however, and she goes straight back to jail, no questions asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex spent the first three months of the program in in-patient treatment. Most of her activities, she said, revolved around attending group classes with other recovering addicts. They discussed self-esteem, met with counselors, and practiced dialectical behavioral therapy<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was often boring, Alex said. But she \u201chad too much to lose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the last three months, Alex has been in outpatient treatment. She still attends weekly group meetings, drug tests, and counselor sessions provided by a San Francisco healthcare nonprofit, but she now lives with her mother and two children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her motivation, she said, comes from relationships, big and small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She knows few details about the other people in her program, but their shared struggles have silently bonded them. \u201cWe\u2019re all just rooting for each other,\u201d she said, greeting familiar faces who walked by with a hug and a smile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her unconventional romance didn\u2019t hurt, either. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were in addiction together, and then we went to jail together, and then we went to program together,\u201d Alex said of her boyfriend. \u201cSo he was always by my side and he was very supportive.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, there\u2019s her family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex said she\u2019s been rebuilding her \u201cbroken relationship\u201d with her mother, who gained custody of Alex\u2019s son and daughter when she was at \u201crock bottom.\u201d Now, she said with a small smile, the kids call to ask when she\u2019s coming home. When she completes community court, Alex said she wants to open a mother-daughter business where she can use the hair braiding skills she learned in jail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At her check-in, Judge Begert advanced Alex to \u201cphase two\u201d of her treatment program. As a reward, she selected two $10 gift cards from CVS. She said she was unsure how long it would take to graduate, but was taking it one baby step at a time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt makes me feel like I\u2019m worthy,\u201d said Alex, of the praise she received from Judge Begert. \u201cThe way he talks \u2026 I think he\u2019s a genuine, just awesome person.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel like drug court really has changed my life for the better,\u201d she added. \u201cAnd I am grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex, her son, and her boyfriend left court together. There was no formal celebration; it was pouring. They did, however, go straight to CVS. Alex treated her son to whatever he wanted, which was Oreo Cakesters and Gatorade \u2014 the yellow one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

LATEST NEWS<\/mark><\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Video:<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Video: Favorite things to do in S.F.<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Lim\u00f3n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lim\u00f3n on South Van Ness is out, Brasa Bros is in: Same owners deliver \u2018fast casual\u2019 dining<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Korean<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Korean couple retires, passes the bouquet at 45-year-old flower shop<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Support the Mission Local team<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We’re a small, independent, nonprofit newsroom<\/strong> that works hard to bring you news you can’t get elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ABIGAIL V\u00c2N NEELY<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

abigail@missionlocal.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abigail covers criminal justice, accountability, and behavioral health. She’s originally from New York City, where she was a youth advocate and watched hundreds of arraignments. Now, she enjoys foggy San Francisco mornings with her cat, Sally Carrera. (Yes, the shelter did in fact name the cat after the Porsche from the animated movie Cars.)More by Abigail V\u00e2n Neely<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by\u00a0ABIGAIL V\u00c2N NEELY FEBRUARY 20, 2025 (MissionLocal.org) Read Mission Local often? Help grow our newsroom, joining the hundreds of San Franciscans who support us by giving below. Donate today! Michael Jordan and Atticus Finch are rarely quoted in tandem. But their wisdom is immortalized side-by-side on a wall of the community… Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39712"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39712"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39712\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39713,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39712\/revisions\/39713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}