The former chief of staff of the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office was charged in June with two misdemeanors for a hit-and-run and filing a false report.
The internal investigation read like an open-and-shut case. Richard Jue admitted that he struck a parked Tesla in his city-issued vehicle, then lied about it. But there will be no trial.
Instead, Jue will participate in a court-ordered diversion program, which requires him to log 40 hours of community service, complete a Driver’s Safety Course, and pay $15,000 to the Sheriff’s Office, the San Francisco Standard first reported. Jue will also pay restitution to the owner of the Tesla.
If he successfully completes these steps without getting arrested again, the charges against him will be dismissed. The duration of the program is unclear. Jue will return to court on Dec. 10 for a progress report.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins’ office objected to Jue’s initial request for diversion, and opposed dismissing any charges. The decision to offer diversion, however, is at the court’s discretion.
The sheriff’s office did not offer comment, saying Jue no longer works there.
Earlier this month, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto announced Jue’s replacement would be Captain John Ramirez. Ramirez was the subject of an internal investigation after being filmed shoving a Black Lives Matter protester to the ground in 2020. Unlike Jue, he was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Sheriff Richard Jue should not be treated like any other citizen involved in a hit and run crime. As a Sheriff he should be held to a much higher standard.
Same with SFPD Paul Yep after his possible-DUI crash in Burlingame.
So let me get this straight. Anyone else would be jailed and everything else. 15k is nothing they make that on overtime . Definitely a double standard here.
“While the newspaper obtained video of the crash that shows a person was nearly struck, the sheriff’s office never mentioned the pedestrian in its description of the footage. Neither did the DA’s office in any of its written court arguments against Jue.”
Corrupt City Family protects its own, news at 11.
Obviously, he took advantage of the provisions and the penal code which allow for first time offenders to be granted diversion. The issue here is why did it take so long for the diversion to be agreed-upon? Any other, 65-year-old male with no prior record who committed a non-injury hit and run would have been granted diversion at the initial court appearance. The law should be applied equally to all regardless of your profession!
The lie was a second offense. It’s fraud, a felony.
Of course he entered the diversion program. That’s why it is there. Obviously he was singled out because of his employment any other individual, a 65-year-old male with no prior record who committed a non-injury hit-and-run ,would have been granted diversion at the first court appearance.
been granted diversion at the first Court Appearance.
Except he lied about it in an official report. That’s not just the first offense itself, that’s a secondary fraud and a very serious one for law enforcement.
You can’t miss the glass-eyed photo of Jue hugging DA “volunteer” Broke Jenkins at her election after-party.
“We didn’t need to contact the witness who was almost run over because we decided it wasn’t relevant to the case.” Oh ok.
DA Jenkins, always above reproach… even when she’s not really.
Diversion programs are widely used for minor offenses, to avoid wrecking the careers of otherwise law-abiding people. And given that this accident was a minor fender-bender with no injuries, it seems like a perfect candidate for diversion.
It’s not the fender-bender part that is upsetting. It’s the fact that he lied about it and tried to cover it up. I would be happy with the diversionary program if he had come clean from the start. Instead he willingly and knowingly as an officer of the law, lied and tried to deceive the public.
Exactly.