Steinle case defense lawyer: Trump may need presumption of innocence, too

President Trump and other administration officials critical of a San Francisco jury’s acquittal of an undocumented Mexican immigrant in the killing of Kate Steinle should reflect that they may need to “avail themselves of the presumption of innocence” someday, the defendant’s lead attorney said Thursday.

Trump cited the July 2015 killing of Steinle several times during last year’s presidential campaign as an example of the need for a wall along the Mexican border and other measures aimed at illegal immigration. After the jury acquitted defendant Jose Ines Garcia Zarate of murder and manslaughter charges, Trump tweeted, “A disgraceful verdict in the Kate Steinle case! No wonder the people of our Country are so angry with Illegal Immigration.”

Trump tweeted about three hours after the verdicts came in, but lead defense attorney Matt Gonzalez had already issued a message to the president.

Defense attorney Matt Gonzalez leaves the courtroom as jury deliberations continue on Monday Nov. 27, 2017, in San Francisco, Calif., in the trial of Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, who is charged with fatally shooting Kate Steinle on San Francisco's Pier 14 more than two years ago. less Defense attorney Matt Gonzalez leaves the courtroom as jury deliberations continue on Monday Nov. 27, 2017, in San Francisco, Calif., in the trial of Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, who is charged with fatally ... more Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 35 Caption Close Steinle case defense lawyer: Trump may need presumption of innocence, too 1 / 35 Back to Gallery

“For those who might be critical of this verdict, there are a number of people that have commented on this case in the last couple of years — the attorney general of the United States, the president and vice president of the United States — let me just remind them that they are themselves are under investigation by a special prosecutor in Washington, D.C.,” Gonzalez said outside court.

“They may themselves soon avail themselves of the presumption of innocence and beyond a reasonable doubt standard,” Gonzalez said. “And I would ask them to reflect on that before they comment or disparage the result in this case.”

A short time later, Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a statement saying, “When jurisdictions choose to return criminal aliens to the streets rather than turning them over to federal immigration authorities, they put the public’s safety at risk. San Francisco’s decision to protect criminal aliens led to the preventable and heartbreaking death of Kate Steinle.”

Then-San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi released Garcia Zarate from city jail less than two months before the killing rather than hold him for federal immigration officials who wanted to deport him. Garcia Zarate had been in jail on an old drug charge that prosecutors decided not to pursue.

In his statement, Sessions added, “I urge the leaders of the nation’s communities to reflect on the outcome of this case and consider carefully the harm they are doing to their citizens by refusing to cooperate with federal law enforcement officers.”

Outside court, Gonzalez offered his “sincere condolences to the Steinle family. ... I hope that they do not interpret this verdict as diminishing in any way the awful tragedy that occurred that their family has suffered.”

In an interview with The Chronicle, Jim Steinle, who was with his daughter when she was shot on Pier 14 along the Embarcadero, said after the verdict that “we’re just shocked — saddened and shocked ... that’s about it. There’s no other way you can coin it. Justice was rendered, but it was not served.”

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @VivianHo