by David Lindfield
A convicted career criminal with 91 felony charges on his record is now asking a San Francisco judge to let him swap prison time for a drug-treatment program, despite allegedly killing two pedestrians in a New Year’s Eve rampage nearly five years ago.
Protests have broken out in the deep blue California city, as many expect 50-year-old Troy McAlister to escape prison under San Francisco’s notorious soft-on-crime policies.
On Friday, defense attorney Scott Grant filed a motion asking Judge Michael Begert to grant diversion for McAlister under California Penal Code §1001.36.
The law allows certain offenders with mental health or substance abuse issues to enter treatment instead of serving prison time.
If granted, McAlister could avoid decades behind bars.
The request has sparked outrage in the city, where community members and victims’ families gathered outside the Hall of Justice with signs reading: “91 felonies, 2 deaths, No more chances” and “Justice NOW.”
Public Outrage Over “Woke” Justice
Critics say the case highlights California’s disastrous “restorative justice” policies.
“Troy McAlister has been charged with 91 felonies over the course of his multi-decade career here in San Francisco, and we don’t think that someone should be given infinite chances,” Scotty Jacobs, director of Blueprint for a Better San Francisco, told KTVU-TV.
Protesters warned that Judge Begert could face recall if he allows McAlister to enter treatment.