SF Superior Courts Staff to Rally Against Short Staffing That Has Resulted in Delays and Case Dismissals
In the wake of the dismissal of at least 70 misdemeanor cases, frontline staff say court capacity is stretched too thin and must be addressed in negotiations
**MEDIA ADVISORY FOR WED., AUG. 21**
Contact: Jennie Smith-Camejo, jennie.smith-camejo@seiu1021.org, (510) 710-0201
When 70 misdemeanor cases were tossed by San Francisco Superior Court officials last Thursday, San Francisco residents may have been surprised – but frontline court workers were not. High numbers of vacancies and staffing levels out of alignment with caseloads have been causing delays that unjustly deprive defendants of their sixth amendment right to a speedy trial – one of several interconnected issues court workers flagged recently in a survey ahead of contract negotiations.
Wednesday, they will rally outside both San Francisco courthouses at lunchtime to push court management to address these issues in upcoming negotiations.
What: SF Superior Court workers rally for improved
staffing, training, and working conditions
When: Wednesday, August 21, at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Outside SF Hall of Justice (850 Bryant St.) and SF
Superior Court (400 McAllister St.) – media availability at Hall
of Justice
Who: SF Superior Courts staff
Visuals: Workers wearing union gear marching, chanting with
picket signs
“The U.S. Constitution guarantees defendants the right to a speedy trial, and those of us who work for the San Francisco Superior Court work hard every day to ensure that right is honored,” said Ben Thompson, a courtroom clerk at the SF Hall of Justice for 17 years. “In our recent survey, which over 75% of court workers filled out, 65% reported that vacancies and short staffing are impacting their work. We are demanding that management really listen to us in negotiations and look at caseloads and staffing levels so that we can work together on getting cases adjudicated faster.”
“Clear majorities of our members said they frequently work without breaks, through lunch, and even take work home with them – yet even with members going above and beyond in ways they should not have to, it’s still not enough for our courts to keep up with the criminal caseload,” said Kim Septien, a courtroom clerk at the SF Civil Court.
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