Last week a proposed community courts program was quietly put down before it really had a chance to see the light of day. Designed as a reform program for the neighborhoods that are next up for mass gentrification, SoMa and the Tenderloin, the Community Justice Center, a. k. a. "the mayor's Justice Center," would serve as a specialized court directed towards street crimes like theft, drug dealing, and assault. But there's a hyper-local twist: those found guilty by the CJC would serve sentences that would benefit the neighborhood. A solid idea, perhaps, but one that nevertheless costs money— and even the government is watching their spending right now. The Board of Supes voted against the Community Justice Center after Mayoral super-friends Chris Daly and Ross Mirkarimi tag-teamed the proposal, flexing their muscles to kill the funding. However, there are those who still strongly support a community court system, so we're guessing this isn't the last we'll hear of the CJC.
· Justice Center too good an idea to dismiss [SFGate]
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