Justice and Courage Committee - February 7, 2020 - Minutes

Meeting Date: 
February 7, 2020 - 9:30am
Location: 

Minutes

Family Violence Council: Justice and Courage Committee Meeting 

February 7, 9:30 – 11:00 am 

850 Bryant, Room 512, San Francisco, CA

Participants:

Brad Allred, District Attorney’s Office

Ken Theisen, Bay Area Legal Aid

Theresa Luong, Bay Area Legal Aid

Zhongyi Julie Hu, Bay Area Legal Aid 

Elise Hansell, Department on the Status of Women 

Jon Kuhns, SF Sheriff’s Dept. 

Karima Baptiste, SF Victim Services Division

Lt. Williams, SFPD Special Victims Unit

Jana Taylor, Adult Probation Department

Chauncey Robinson, Adult Probation Department 

 

 

 

I.Welcome, Introductions/Check-in

 

II.Arrests of Domestic Violence Survivors

  • Theresa Luong, Bay Area Legal Aid, shared concerns over a few recent incidents that resulted in the arrest of domestic violence survivors. The committee discussed the need for more in-depth training on dominant aggressor determination, working with LEP survivors, concerns around the transport of survivor and perpetrator in the same van from station to 850 Bryant, and mischaracterization of mutual combat. Bay Legal will share information about these incidents with SFPD and SFDA. 
  • Lt. Williams and Brad Allred will review these incidents and identify opportunities to address these issues through Advanced Officer training or reaching out to patrol officers. 

III.Electronic Monitoring in Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Cases 

  • Lt. Kuhns provided an update around electronic monitoring in domestic violence cases. Lt. Kuhns will follow up with Jana Taylor, Adult Probation, to discuss a specific release and report case. 
  • Members of committee expressed concerns in the lapse in time between release and reporting – in domestic violence cases, one of the most dangerous times is immediately after sentencing. 
  • Lt. Kuhns will provide the committee with information on the percent of cases that are release and report vs. coordinated pickup, as well as the number of cases of unauthorized removal in domestic violence cases. 
  • Members of the committee also discussed curfew credit time served. Lt. Kuhns will follow up with Jana Taylor. 

 

 

IV.Update on DGO 6.09/Domestic Violence Manual and Training Plan for SFPD and DGO 6.05 - Response to Death Cases 

  • Lt. Williams and Elise Hansell provided an update on a new process that will be initiated by SFPD Leadership that will affect the process of updating DGO 6.09. Moving forward, SFPD will assign a “SFPD Executive Sponsor” to convene a formal working group to update department policy. 

 

V.Update on providing Domestic Violence police reports in a timely manner (Family Code § 6228)

  • Theresa Luong provided an update for Bay Area Legal Aid – SFPD is providing police reports to domestic violence survivors in a timely manner, in compliance with Family Code 6228. 
  • The Committee will retire this item, unless there is concern over compliance. 

 

VI.Update on Parole Hearing - Claire Joyce Tempongko Domestic Violence Homicide

  • Moved to April committee meeting. 

 

VII.Setting a meeting with DA Boudin

  • The Justice & Courage Committee will request a meeting with the new District Attorney, Chesa Boudin. Agenda items were discussed and include felony domestic violence cases released to electronic monitoring program, victim restitution, pre-trial release and bail, and possibly the primary caregiver policy.
  • Elise will send possible meeting dates via doodle. 

VIII.Planning agenda for 4/3/2020 meeting 

  • Continue items # 2,3,4,7. 
  • Add an agenda item to discuss setting a meeting with Sheriff Miyamoto. 

 

            MEETING FOLLOW-UP

Action Item

Person

Deadline

Reported Out Via

Bay Area Legal Aid will share concerns regarding incidents involving the arrests of domestic violence survivors. 

Theresa Luong

2/28

 

Lt. Williams and Brad Allred will review these incidents and identify opportunities to address these issues through Advanced Officer training or reaching out to patrol officers. 

 

Brad Allred and Lt. Williams 

2/28

 

Lt. Kuhns will follow up with Jana Taylor, Adult Probation, to discuss a specific release and report case. 

 

Lt. Kuhns/ Jana Taylor 

2/28

 

Lt. Kuhns will provide the committee with information on the percent of cases that are release and report vs. coordinated pickup, as well as the number of cases of unauthorized removal in domestic violence cases.

 

Lt. Kuhns

2/28

 

Lt. Kuhns will follow up with Jana Taylor regarding curfew credit time served. 

Jana Taylor/Lt. Kuhns 

2/28

 

Elise will send a doodle to identify dates for a meeting with DA Boudin and members of the committee

Elise

2/28