San Francisco, CA — Today, Brooke Jenkins was sworn in as San Francisco’s new District Attorney (DA) in the North Light Court of City Hall. Jenkins, who was appointed by Mayor London N. Breed to replace the former DA following the recall election on June 7, 2022, will have to run for election this November. DA Jenkins was sworn in by Judge Samuel Feng, who is the presiding judge of the San Francisco Superior Court. Mayor Breed and DA Jenkins were joined by members of her family, community advocates, law professionals, and civic leaders.
“I am proud that today we swore in Brooke Jenkins as San Francisco’s new District Attorney,” said Mayor Breed. “I hear from residents every day that they are frustrated with the state of accountability in our city and have real concerns about feeling safe, but they also don’t want us to move back on the progress we have made reforming our criminal justice system. I will do all that I can to work with our new District Attorney to ensure that we can restore faith in the system while staying true to the promises we have made.”
“As the District Attorney in San Francisco, I am humbled and honored to serve,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “I have seen firsthand the imbalances and disproportionate impacts of our criminal justice system. As District Attorney, I will do everything in my power to restore accountability and consequences to San Francisco’s criminal justice system while also moving forward with implementing progressive reforms.”
Jenkins served as an Assistant DA in the San Francisco DA’s Office from 2014 to 2021, where she worked her way up, serving in the Misdemeanor and Felonies Units before working as the office’s Hate Crimes Prosecutor. She was later promoted to the Sexual Assault Unit and eventually the Homicide Unit. Jenkins resigned from the San Francisco DA’s Office in October 2021 as a result of mounting dissatisfaction with the direction of the office. At the time of her departure, she prosecuted over 25 criminal jury trials and completed more than 100 preliminary hearings.
At the swearing in ceremony, members of the community spoke about their support for the new District Attorney, including Rani Singh, a former prosecutor in the District Attorney’s Office and current Attorney for the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department, and Police Commissioner Larry Yee, who has been a strong Chinese community leader for decades.
“It has been an honor, privilege, and blessing to be a mentor to Brooke Jenkins,” said Rani Singh. “When Mayor Breed said the City of San Francisco believes in accountability, but also giving second chances, she could not have made a better selection in a DA than Brooke Jenkins. Brooke as a prosecutor can be described as courageous, professional, strong, and empathetic, but more importantly, Brooke as a human being can be described as loving, fair, trustworthy and loyal. I am so excited to call Brooke the next District Attorney of San Francisco.”
“I look forward to having Brooke serve as our community as the next District Attorney, but this work is not about just focusing on one neighborhood, it’s about all of San Francisco,” said Commissioner Larry Yee. “I want to thank Mayor Breed for this appointment and can’t wait to start working with our new DA.”
After an extensive and lengthy process that included meetings with community members, business owners and attorneys, Jenkins was chosen by Mayor Breed for her prosecutorial and personal experience that has equipped her to best understand both sides of the criminal justice system. Jenkins, who is African American and Latina, and a Bay Area native, received her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and B.A. from UC Berkeley. She will serve until November, when she will then run during a special election which will decide who will complete Boudin’s term through 2023.