Two decades of crimes and two homicides later - it's time for accountability.

Attend the rally TOMORROW at 8:30AM SF Superior Court (850 Bryant Street) to demand that Judge Michael Begert hold Troy McAlister accountable - and not allow him to walk free again.

Five years ago, on New Year’s Eve 2020, Troy McAlister—a man with multiple felonies and misdemeanors to his name—got behind the wheel of a stolen car while intoxicated, ran a red light, and killed 27-year-old Hanako Abe and 60-year-old Elizabeth Platt. Their deaths weren’t random. They were the tragic, predictable outcome of a system that refused to draw the line with a career criminal. And now he may walk free again.

McAlister’s criminal history is staggering. At just 19, he was convicted of second-degree robbery. Over the next two decades, he cycled in and out of jail and prison on charges ranging from stolen property to grand theft. In 2015, he robbed two women in the Mission. After waiting in jail for almost five years for this offense, newly-elected District Attorney Chesa Boudin chose to negotiate a plea deal with McAlister instead of taking it to trial. While sentenced to five years, the time he had spent in jail waiting counted toward his sentence, allowing him to essentially walk free. 

This was the tipping point. 

After walking free in 2020, he was arrested five times that year for various crimes including burglary and driving stolen vehicles—each time released. On December 20th, he was caught driving a stolen car but was let go because of a missed referral. Less than two weeks later, he robbed a bakery, sped off in another stolen car, and killed Abe and Platt. He was a walking red flag—and our criminal justice system looked away.

Abe grew up in Fukushima, surviving the 2011 earthquake and tsunami with her family. She came to San Francisco in 2018 to chase her dream of becoming a data engineer, after studying at the University of Central Arkansas. She was ambitious, adventurous, and sent money home to support her parents. She was 27 years old. She deserved safety. She deserved a future. And she was failed by an overly permissive system that, time after time, fails to recognize the difference between restorative justice and accountability. 

Incredibly, the Public Defender representing McAlister is now asking Judge Michael Begert to send him to Drug Court. Diversion to Drug Court is supposed to give low-level offenders with addiction or mental health issues a chance at treatment instead of jail time. When diversion works, it can help someone get back on track. But in the case of McAlister, this would be wholly inappropriate, and Judge Begert giving him an umpteenth chance would be socially irresponsible—but sadly on-par with his past decision-making. Begert, who led the creation of the county’s questionably effective CARE Court, has a history of letting career criminals walk while in his court, leading to them repeatedly committing crimes. Judge Begert faced an electoral challenge just last year over this exact topic.

Allowing McAlister, who has received far more chances than many get in life, to participate in a diversion program would be an insult to Abe’s memory. We must advocate for what we believe is the best outcome for the victims in this case—and remind Judge Begert that maintaining public safety is a duty of his office. 

This Friday, October 3rd, at 8:30AM, there will be a rally at SF Superior Court (850 Bryant Street) to demand that Troy McAlister be held fully accountable - and not granted diversion. Tell Judge Begert that enough is enough. Even if a decision is not rendered Friday, Abe’s family deserves justice. And San Franciscans deserve a justice system that holds repeat offenders accountable.