Welcome!
San Francisco has long been at the forefront of legal efforts to protect consumers, defend the integrity of our public institutions and advance civil rights for every American. I'm proud to continue that tradition as City Attorney, and my office remains committed to providing our City with the highest caliber legal representation. It is my pleasure to offer this Web site as a means to make my office more open and accessible to the people it serves. Thanks for visiting.
Sincerely,
DENNIS J. HERRERA
City Attorney of San Francisco
City Attorney Herrera will appeal a July 22 trial court ruling in a lawsuit filed by Sup. Michela Alioto-Pier that has devastated a cornerstone of San Francisco's term-limits law. The decision by Superior Court Judge Peter J. Busch concluded that a "rounding-up rule" enacted by voters nearly two decades ago to govern mid-term appointments to the Board of Supervisors was ineffective, and could no longer be applied to appointed incumbents for any portion of their first term in office.
The judicial holding means that while supervisors elected in their own right are limited to two consecutive four-year terms, a supervisor appointed to fill a vacancy benefits from having the entirety of the first term uncounted for purposes term-limits. In a July 28 San Francisco Chronicle Open Forum editorial, Herrera wrote: "Incredibly, it is now possible for appointed incumbents to serve as long as almost three terms in office -- nearly 12 consecutive years -- depending on when the vacancy occurs."
Herrera went on to criticize the "absurd new two-tiered term-limit scheme" as one San Francisco voters never approved -- and, in fact, deliberately sought to avoid by initially adopting the "rounding-up rule" to limit the political advantages enjoyed by appointed incumbents.
MAJOR CASE
San Francisco is a co-plaintiff in the ongoing legal battle for marriage equality in California, this time alongside the
American Foundation for Equal Rights. With the case in U.S. District Court now submitted, we await a ruling.
MAJOR CASE
The City Attorney is continuing the City's legal defense of the Bicycle Plan -- a policy intended to make bicycling a safer, more viable means of transportation in San Francisco.
MAJOR CASE
Despite controversy and apparent confusion, the City Attorney continues to reaffirm his duty to be an aggressive advocate for the validity of the newly amended San Francisco Sanctuary Ordinance.
RFP
The Office of City Attorney is now accepting Request for Proposals for Court Reporter Services. Deadline for submission is August 20th, 2010 at 5:00pm. Please click on the above link for more information.
KEY INITIATIVE
Working with the ACLU and others, the City Attorney's Office established fair, accessible administrative process for reformed gang members to seek to be removed from civil gang injunctions.
