District Attorney-Elect Chesa Boudin has promised to end the practice of gang enhancements, additional years that are added to sentences if a crime is found to benefit a gang, statin
... moreDistrict Attorney-Elect Chesa Boudin has promised to end the practice of gang enhancements, additional years that are added to sentences if a crime is found to benefit a gang, stating that they are “infused with racism.”
While Boudin points to statistics showing that these additional punishments fall disproportionately on Latino and Black defendants in San Francisco, defenders of the practice call it necessary to combat gang violence. Gang enhancements were used by City Attorney Dennis Herrera and former SF DA George Gascón, but have increasingly been scaled back amid allegations of racist application.