What has the San Francisco Sheriff’s Legal Department done to ensure its Deputies obey the law? San Francisco will be choosing a new District Attorney this November. The new DA must aggressively go after law breaking and misconduct regardless of the perpetrator. (See earlier Post 2.2.2019)
Excerpted from San Francisco Chronicle 7.24.2019
Almost a decade before San Francisco sheriff’s deputy Scott Neu (pictured above) was charged and fired for allegedly pitting jail inmates against each other in the infamous “fight club” case, he was accused of punching, kicking and kneeing an inmate in his cell, leaving the man with two broken ribs, records released Tuesday show.
But then-Sheriff Michael Hennessey did not discipline Deputy Scott Neu and the district attorney’s office declined to file any criminal charges in the 2006 case after the Sheriff’s Department conducted an internal investigation into the inmate’s complaint.
A year later, the district attorney’s office charged Neu with 17 criminal counts, including assault under color of authority, making threats, inhumanity to a prisoner and cruel and unusual punishment and he was fired.
Two other deputies were accused of assault under color of authority, inflicting cruel and unusual punishment and breaching official duties. All three pleaded not guilty.
The inmates settled a lawsuit against the city and Sheriff’s Department in 2016 for $90,000.
The district attorney’s office dismissed the charges against the deputies on Feb. 1, 2019 after prosecutors said they learned the Sheriff’s Department mishandled the investigation by destroying evidence and improperly conducting joint administrative and criminal investigations.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/SF-deputy-in-fight-club-case-was-previously-14118153.php
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