San Francisco DA criticizes judge’s release of seven men charged in Pier 39 assault robbery case

Case centers on alleged group attack near a major tourist destination

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has publicly criticized a Superior Court judge’s decision to release seven men accused of attacking and robbing a father near Pier 39, a waterfront area that draws large numbers of residents and tourists.

Prosecutors allege the defendants, described as Sacramento-area men ages 21 to 33, confronted a man as he walked with his fiancée and their infant. The accused are charged with second-degree robbery and assault, along with allegations that the victim suffered great bodily injury. Prosecutors have said the victim was beaten unconscious and sustained severe injuries, including a brain bleed, during the incident. The alleged motive described by prosecutors was the theft of a gold necklace.

Judge’s pretrial ruling draws sharp disagreement from prosecutors and defense

The release decision was issued by Judge Brian Hill, a Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge who has served on that bench since 2003. Jenkins said the ruling allowed the men to leave custody without bail or electronic monitoring, and she argued the decision created unacceptable risk given the seriousness of the alleged violence and the victim’s injuries.

Defense attorneys countered that pretrial incarceration should not be automatic even in serious cases and argued that the court weighed individual circumstances. In court filings and statements summarized in public coverage, attorneys noted that five of the seven defendants reportedly have no prior criminal history. Jenkins has pointed to the group nature of the alleged attack and said some defendants have prior gun-related convictions, which she argued should have weighed against release conditions.

What happens next in the criminal process

The case is expected to proceed through a preliminary hearing, where a judge determines whether there is sufficient evidence to hold defendants to answer for the charged felonies. Jenkins has indicated her office may seek detention again at that stage. A preliminary hearing date had not been publicly set at the time the dispute became public.

• Charges filed include second-degree robbery and assault, with great-bodily-injury allegations.
• The court’s pretrial decision left the defendants out of custody without bail or electronic monitoring, as described by prosecutors.
• Defense arguments emphasized individualized assessments and cited limited criminal history for most defendants.

Court system strain provides broader backdrop

The disagreement unfolded amid continuing operational pressures in San Francisco’s court system. In late February 2026, clerical staff at the San Francisco Superior Court staged a strike tied to staffing and training disputes, and court administrators warned of delayed proceedings and reduced services during the work stoppage. Separately, California’s judicial branch has documented a statewide shortage of court reporters, an issue it says can affect the ability to create verbatim records needed for appeals in certain case types.

The Pier 39 case now moves forward with the defendants released pretrial, while prosecutors and defense prepare for the next court hearing that could revisit custody conditions.