Bernie says he'll follow in Boudin's 'no cash bail' footsteps if he becomes president

In a Jan. 23, 2020 post on Twitter, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders applauded San Francisco's new District Attorney Chesa Boudin for ending cash bail as a condition for a defendants' pretrial release on Twitter. less In a Jan. 23, 2020 post on Twitter, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders applauded San Francisco's new District Attorney Chesa Boudin for ending cash bail as a condition for ... more Photo: Twitter Screen Capture Photo: Twitter Screen Capture Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Bernie says he'll follow in Boudin's 'no cash bail' footsteps if he becomes president 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

It's no secret Bernie Sanders is a big fan of San Francisco's new district attorney Chesa Boudin — the Democratic presidential candidate endorsed Boudin's campaign. And so it comes as no surprise that the Vermont senator gave a shout-out to Boudin's announcement to end cash bail for all criminal cases, a city policy that's making national headlines.

"Congratulations to San Francisco for taking this important step," read a message from Sander's official Twitter account on Thursday. "When we are in the White House, we will end cash bail nationwide. No one should be in jail because they are too poor to post bail."

Congratulations to San Francisco for taking this important step. When we are in the White House, we will end cash bail nationwide. No one should be in jail because they are too poor to post bail. https://t.co/yGZjdzT5VJ — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 23, 2020

Sanders was responding to Boudin's Jan. 22 tweet touting the city's new formal policy, ending the use of money bail by city prosecutors as a condition for pretrial detention.

Sanders wouldn't be the first politician with the idea for a more widespread policy. Former California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation in August 2018 that would have eliminated the state's system requiring newly arrested defendants to put up bail, but Senate Bill 10 was suspended by a referendum after it was challenged by the California bail industry.

While a president or his administration does not have oversight over non-federal judicial systems, Sanders's plan relies on cooperation from state and local governments.

ALSO: San Francisco ends cash bail for all criminal cases

Boudin, who took office two weeks ago, said Wednesday prosecutors will use a "risk-based system" and weigh whether a defendant might flee or pose a threat to public safety. The former public defender has often said the cash bail system unfairly affects indigent defendants and people of color, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The child of incarcerated parents, Boudin's policy goes a step further than his predecessor, George Gascón, who scaled back requests for cash bail by introducing an algorithmic risk assessment tool in 2016. The district attorney’s office on Wednesday said this tool "has allowed prosecutors and judges to preserve the constitutional protection of presumed innocence, while maintaining public safety through objective data."

Disparities in cash bail requirements in San Francisco have resulted in African American defendants paying an average of $120 per year for pretrial release compared to $10 for white defendants, according to the district attorney’s office. Officials said this kind of inequality has led to a transfer of wealth in communities of color to private industry.

San Francisco’s police union criticized Boudin’s decision.

"Mr. Boudin is in the process of building the largest criminal justice revolving door imaginable, and San Franciscans will pay a heavy price for it,"

said Tony Montoya, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association. "Relying solely on an arbitrary math equation regarding who remains in custody and who gets out early will endanger residents and police officers but it sure will make career criminals and gang members happy."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.