Residents in liberal San Francisco are taking to the streets in frustration over a contentious legal battle surrounding a repeat offender, Troy McAlister, who is seeking court-supervised treatment instead of prison time for a deadly crash that killed two pedestrians. McAlister, who has a lengthy record of 91 felony convictions, is requesting diversion under California Penal Code §1001.36. This could allow him to enter a drug-treatment program rather than face a potential decades-long prison sentence. The motion has sparked fierce opposition from the community, who believe that leniency is no longer appropriate given the severity of McAlister’s actions.
Protests have erupted outside San Francisco’s Hall of Justice, with demonstrators holding signs that read