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Jim Crow Comes to San Francisco
San Francisco Public Defender Matt Gonzalez is protecting Sheriff Ross Mikarimi, not “defending” Kate Steinle’s killer.
He penned, “the truth is he’s never previously been charged with a crime of violence. He is a simple man with a second-grade education who has survived many hardships. He came to the U.S. repeatedly because extreme poverty is the norm in many parts of Mexico. He risked going to jail so that he could perform a menial job that could feed him.”
A look at Mr. Sanchez rap sheet seems to contradict this.
- 5/13/1991 – Sanchez convicted by an Arizona state criminal court of inhaling toxic vapors.
- 2/2/1993 – Sanchez convicted by Washington state criminal court of felony heroin possession.
- 5/12/1993 – Sanchez convicted by a Washington state criminal court of felony manufacturing narcotics.
- 11/2/1993 – Sanchez convicted of felony heroin possession.
- 6/9/1994 – Sanchez convicted in an Oregon criminal court of misdemeanor imitation controlled substance.
- 6/10/1994 – Sanchez arrested and placed in removal proceedings as an alien who’s been convicted of a controlled substance violation and an aggravated felony.
- 6/20/1994 – Sanchez deported to Mexico.
- 7/14/1994 -Arizona state criminal court revoked Sanchez’s probation.
- 7/11/1996 – Sanchez convicted by Washington State criminal court of felony possession of heroin.
- 3/12/1997 – INS arrested Sanchez on an “order to show cause,” charging him as “deportable alien” based on his illegal entry and aggravated felony conviction.
- 4/4/1997 – Sanchez deported to Mexico.
- 7/22/1997 – Sanchez arrested by Arizona authorities for assault and threatening/intimidating.
- 1/13/1998 – Sanchez arrested by U.S. Border Patrol.
- 2/2/1998 – Sanchez deported to Mexico.
- 2/8/1998 – Sanchez arrested by U.S. Border Patrol after illegally re-entering.
- 9/3/1998 – Sanchez convicted in U.S. District Court of re-entry after removal.
- 3/6/2003 – Sanchez removed to Mexico.
- 7/4/2003 – Sanchez arrested by U.S. Border Patrol in Texas – presented for prosecution for felony re-entry.
- 11/7/2003 – Sanchez convicted of re-entry after removal and violation of supervised federal release.
- 6/29/2009 –ICE removes him to Mexico.
- 9/20/2009 – Sanchez arrested by CBP in Eagle Pass, Texas,
- 10/14/2009 – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas filed indictment for re-entry after removal.
- 9/10/2010 – Sanchez charged for violating his federal probation.
- 5/12/2011 – Sanchez sentenced to 46 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release
- 3/26/2015 – Sanchez released from prison custody and turned over to the San Francisco County Sheriff’s Office to an active criminal warrant for felony sale/furnishing marijuana.
- 3/27/2015 – ICE received automatic electronic notification indicating Sanchez had been booked into jail custody and lodged an immigration detainer asking to be notified before his release.
- Unknown date – Jail did not honor the immigration detainer and released Sanchez from custody. ICE is not notified of the release.
- 7/1/2015 – Sanchez is arrested with the fatal shooting of Kathryn Steinle on Pier 14 in San Francisco
On top of that, the Daily Caller reported he used some 30 aliases.
Far from being misunderstood Mr. Sanchez-Gonzalez is clearly a habitual criminal. One might dismiss Mr. Gonzalez’s falsehoods and mis-representations as simply “doing his job,” as any defense attorney would.
Alas, like everything else in San Francisco, it’s complicated. You see, Gonzalez is not defending just a murderer. He’s got other clients: Public Defender Jeff Adachi appointed him to not only defend Lopez-Sanchez but to protect San Francisco’s Sanctuary City Policy; D.A. Gascon, who opposes turning anyone over to immigration without a court order; and Gonzalez’ friend, former Sheriff Ross Mikarimi, who has blood on his hands. (Mikarimi was Gonzalez campaign manager when he ran for Mayor in 2003.)
We’re witnessing a version of the Jim Crow South (where good ‘ol boys circle the wagons to protect one another from official government misdeeds) right here in San Francisco.
Let’s review the bidding: In 1989, in good faith to ease tensions between law enforcement and the immigrant community, San Francisco passed its original Sanctuary Ordinance.
Later Mayor Gavin Newsom watered it down (as it related to juveniles) and then in a blatant attempt to curry votes during an election year, the Chronicle reported, “two weeks before Sanchez was sent to San Francisco — Ross Mikarimi issued an order banning all holds of inmates for federal immigration authorities. ‘The San Francisco Sheriff’s Department ICE detainer policy is that ICE Immigration Detainers … shall not be booked or honored,’ Mirkarimi’s memo said. He shifted from his earlier policies, which allowed detainers in certain serious cases.”
Kate’s fate was sealed with that memo.
A simple homeless man with “mental problems?” Anyone who’s ever dealt with the Mexican Mafia, the 38th Street gang, M13 or other gangs, knows no one deals heroine, gets false idees, or crosses the border six times without their knowledge or involvement.
Yet, the silence on Lopez-Sanchez and possible gang activity has been deafening. Did he never meet any gang-bangers in prison? Was he stalking her? (He was captured less than two blocks from her apartment).
We may never know because San Francisco law enforcement, D.A.’s office, and public defender’s office are slow walking this prosecution in the hopes that we will buy the “simple homeless man, down on his luck, gambit”—and save San Francisco from national embarrassment.
Lopez-Sanchez is not the only one on trial here. Jim Crow, San Francisco style, is on trial as well.
Published in Law
Wow, I didn’t realize that it was even legal for a P.D. to write something like this, even if the accused is not his client. The prosecution should ask for a change of venue.
I’m sorry but after the 3rd time we need to start tattooing “Illegal” on their forehead.
@Archie Campbell You are completely right. The prosecution should ask for a change of venue. As a side note, The Chronicle has published half a dozen op-eds from me. The rudely refused to publish this one–as they’ve chosen their side in the battle.
A public defender should not be writing an op-ed like that.
“Feds ID 17 Alleged MS-13 Gang Members Charged in a Dozen Long Island Murders.”
Future residents of San Francisco.
He is an illegal immigrant and thus an innocent and pure as the driven snow. Let the man go.
No, no – they won’t be living in San Francisco. As the New Olympus, the Most Important City in the World®, where all the Great and Good who defend the world from the antediluvian ideas of the Western/Judeo-Christian past, the noble residents of San Francisco must be protected. After all, they are better than everyone else.
Soon, the only way to live in San Francisco will be:
The people to whom you refer will be the residents of Pelositown, the future refugee camp/megaslum that will grow just beyond the San Francisco County line around Daly City/South San Francisco, stretching out to the United Nations’ Barack Hussein Obama II World Citizen Freedom Zone (formerly San Francisco International Airport).
This is the big problem with catch and release for immediate deportation. Individuals like Mr. Sanchez will be right back across the border within a matter of weeks. Someone like Mr. Sanchez should have been in a US prison for decades and then deported.
As far as San Francisco is concerned it has become more than a sanctuary city for more than just illegal immigrants, it is a sanctuary city for those that are not capable of rational thinking, especially government officials that are not capable of rational thinking. Sad, because I went to high school in the Bay Area and I enjoyed driving up to San Francisco to spend a day in The City.
The people of San Francisco deserve the cesspool of their own making.