Rules Committee forwards Teshia Naidu for Sentencing Commission seat, grants residency waiver
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Summary
The Rules Committee voted July 19 to forward the mayoral appointment of Teshia Naidu to the San Francisco Sentencing Commission and to waive the residency requirement; two applicants were considered and supervisors flagged the commission's need for gender balance and sentencing expertise.
Teshia Naidu, an attorney with the Drug Policy Alliance, won committee backing July 19 to be forwarded to the full Board of Supervisors for appointment to a seat on the San Francisco Sentencing Commission, and the committee agreed to waive the usual residency requirement.
In a two-candidate hearing, Naidu told the Rules Committee she has worked on drug policy reform and criminal-justice issues at state and local levels, and said racial disparities in enforcement remain stark: "African Americans are 19 times more likely to be arrested for drug related offenses," she told the panel while reviewing local realignment data. Naidu urged the commission to examine local enforcement practices and to consider diversion models such as Seattle's LEAD program, a pre-booking alternative she cited as an example the commission could explore.
Allan Hopper of the ACLU of Northern California also addressed the committee, describing long experience in criminal-justice policy and urging local leadership on implementing realignment. Hopper emphasized the high share of pretrial detainees and the costs of incarceration, and recommended pretrial supervision and diversion programs to reduce jail populations.
Supervisors focused on residency and on whether the commission should better reflect women and people of color. Supervisor Campos said the choice was difficult because both candidates were highly qualified but said she was "leaning towards Ms. Naidu" to increase female representation. Campos formally moved to forward Naidu's nomination with a residency waiver. The committee also discussed forwarding Hopper's resume to the Mayor's office for other openings.
Public supporters from the Drug Policy Alliance and the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club spoke in favor of Naidu's appointment. The committee agreed to move the item forward as a committee report to the full board, where final confirmation will take place.
The Rules Committee action sends Naidu's nomination to the full Board of Supervisors; the motion to waive residency and to forward the nomination was recorded at the meeting and will appear on the next supervisors' agenda.
