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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
San Francisco, CAJoined July 2012
2,074 Following
8,315 Followers

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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
I want to talk a bit about why I jumped into this race to be San Francisco's next District Attorney just 12 days ago. Like many of you, I hoped the interim DA would put the people first, not politics. That hasn't happened. So let’s talk about who I am and why I'm running:
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
After Tyre Nichols, families of Black victims killed by SFPD wanted to speak out. Mayor Breed's ally blocked them from speaking. Jenkins has repeatedly been criticized for siding with the SFPD defendant who killed an unarmed Black man over victim.
missionlocal.org
'Pro-Chesa' speakers screened at City Hall Tyre Nichols event
A City Hall gathering of politicians and activists recognizing Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old Black man brutally killed by Memphis police this month,
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
Two police union backed politicians explain why "tough-on-crime" policing is what San Francisco needs. Both have been remarkably silent during SFPD's various racist and violent scandals. Jenkins is working to block accountability for a killer cop rn (Black victim).
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Jeremy B. White
@JeremyBWhite
Striking similarity between SFDA @BrookeJenkinsSF and Mayor @LondonBreed -- who appointed Jenkins -- in their frustrations with white progressives dictating what Black people want in policing. Jenkins on the left, Breed on the *right*
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
Whoa, there’s racism in the suburbs? Who knew?
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San Francisco Chronicle
@sfchronicle
Data released for the first time showed police in some wealthy enclaves, like Piedmont and Los Altos, stop Black drivers at disproportionately higher rates than cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco. trib.al/9AIt6Ya
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
A few weeks ago, Democratic Minority Leader Jeffries fought for an anti-abortion, far-right judge to be NY Supreme Court chief justice. Absolute clown.
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Jabari Brisport🌹
@JabariBrisport
Today Minority Leader Jeffries voted in favor of a Republican resolution "Denouncing the horrors of socialism"
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
In today's most demented criminal justice news - the Massachusetts gov't is offering freedom in exchange for your vital organs. (kinda proves that the folks in custody are no longer a danger to society, no?)
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Matthew Cunningham-Cook
@matthewccook5
A new bill in Massachusetts offers prisoners reduced sentences if they donate their organs. That's bad! @LeverNews levernews.com/mass-prisoners
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
San Francisco has a dedicated, professional non-police response to homeless program set up in CART. Mysteriously the contract was awarded to Mayor Breed's friend who has no experience & been enmeshed in scandal at Urban Alchemy. Same old San Francisco...
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Compassionate Alternative Response Team - SF
@CART_SF
Yesterday we received news of the result of the CART RFP- something we have been waiting for since our coalition started to work on this years ago. It disturbs us to hear the news that Urban Alchemy was awarded the contract.
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
Disgraceful. Mayor Breed & DA Jenkins are trying to silence the victim’s family in a SFPD police killing, while doing a media event for Tyre Nichols. Zero shame.
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Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez
@FitzTheReporter
Development in #TyreNichols event in San Francisco today at City Hall... April Green, aunt of Keita O'Neill, a man fatally shot by an SFPD rookie, was disinvited from speaking there today. Why? She planned to critique DA Jenkins handling of the case, and had supported DA Boudin.
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
Cops went out and bought a bunch of cheap cosmetics from Walgreens (you can see the labels) for the photo. Or they went into the evidence storage and pulled out some cosmetics to manufacture this photo. Over some kids shoplifting.
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
Watch for "cops save baby ducks" stories in the next few months. Media collaborates with police to produce these puff pieces after every police brutality incident. Literally every dept does these after police killings, it's amazing. Thread
kron4.com
SF officers ‘quack the case,’ save baby ducklings
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) – When a mother duck’s babies fell through a grate into a drain in Oracle Park Sunday morning, San Francisco police officers quickly quacked the case. Averting a fla…
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
SFPD is already one of the highest paid depts in the country, high school grad can get $100k to start. And zero accountability by politicians. Or blocking of accountability by other pols, like Breed and the moderate/right faction. Aiding and abetting police brutality.
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
Of course, SFPD gets a shout-out in the column about out-of-control policing. The problem is strong police unions and weak Democratic politicians. Mayor Breed gave the police union massive raises and overtime last year, after numerous cops arrested, scandals, killing a victim.
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b-boy bouiebaisse
@jbouie
American policing lies largely outside of any meaningful democratic control. nytimes.com/2023/01/31/opi
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
I used to believe this too, as a young child, before I knew anything about policing.
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Noah Smith 🐇🇺🇦
@Noahpinion
More and more, I'm convinced that the big policing reform we need is to professionalize the police, through massively increased training requirements and higher education levels. noahpinion.substack.com/p/professional
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
Zero protests anywhere in the area, but London Breed floods the high-end district with police? Using Tyre Nichols’ death to loot the city budget for police overtime is more than a little disturbing.
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Betty Yu
@BettyKPIX
Streets around Union Square are blocked off Sunday by @SFPD following outrage over the death of #TyreNichols @KPIXtv
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
It's never "a few bad apples" - it's police culture.
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Dyjuan Tatro
@DyjuanTatro
Replying to @BarackObama
To be clear, the Memphis PD is just as responsible for the murder of Tyre Nichols as those 5 officers. 5 cops didn’t randomly decide to murder him. They committed a murder they assumed would be sanctioned by the department. The surveillance video screwed them. Not their actions.
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
One point folks may not know, there’s an unwritten rule within some police unions - you run, you catch a beating for making cops chase you. The more you make them work, the worse they beat you. I’m sure those cops had beaten tons of people before they killed someone.
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
If you won't think a case like that won't happen where you live, you haven't been paying attention. In 2019, SFPD was caught in a similar vicious beating and crooked politicians and the media protected him by running a smear campaign against his prosecution.
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
This is the nightmare that the police union has been fighting for - to be free from oversight of the DA, who brought the first prosecution of an SFPD officer for beating the ever-loving hell out of a Black man. More coming. sfchronicle.com/sf/article/S-F
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
The idea that the case is "unraveling" is Breed/Jenkins spin to try and protect a killer cop. The case is as strong as it has always been, the office has just gotten weak towards police violence.
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
“I’m holding on and fighting to see this case through,” Green said. “It’s sad today that I’m standing alone and that the D.A. who is currently in office, Jenkins, is not standing with me.” In Jenkins' office, the killer cops are the real victims.
sfchronicle.com
It’s the first prosecution of an S.F. officer for an on-duty killing. It may be unraveling
Allegations of prosecutorial misconduct, recall politics and a family’s grief collided...
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
It's fascinating watching all of the politicians speak out on Tyre Nichols, who will absolutely go back to backing police unions and blocking reform on Monday. Real inspiring.
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
Regular reminder that Tesla's tech is trash, 7th place in driver's assistance systems.
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Facts Chaser 🌎 🐶 🤦🏻‍♂️
@Factschaser
Tesla’s defective Autopilot slips to seventh place in Consumer Reports’ testing of driver assistance systems ratings, behind Ford, GM and Mercedes. NHTSA has several ongoing investigations into $TSLA accidents and deaths where Autopilot was involved. reuters.com/business/autos
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
Would be cool if he would show the same concern when police violence is a daily occurrence, not just when it might impact property.
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The Recount
@therecount
AG Merrick Garland urges caution ahead of the release of the "deeply disturbing" video of Tyre Nichols' arrest at the hands of Memphis police: "Expressions of concern when people see this video, we urge that they be peaceful and nonviolent. That's what the family has urged."
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John Hamasaki
@HamasakiLaw
Keita O'Neil case is over to March 1st. Last continuance according to the judge. It's gonna finally happen then. From one observer "DA Darby Williams looked like she was arguing for the killer cop's defense team."
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