SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Homeless advocates are criticizing a Sacramento judge who wrote a letter to city leadership addressing concerns about the unhoused community surrounding the downtown courthouse.
In a June 29 letter addressed to Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and the city council, Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Michael G. Bowman said there are daily incidents of "physical and verbal assault, public sex acts, open fires, nudity, urinating and defecating on walkways."
He said employees fear for their safety and requested increased police presence near the downtown facilities.
The Sacramento Homeless Union held a news conference Tuesday afternoon addressing the letter.
"The narrative being perpetuated by Judge Bowman, intentional or unintentional, is based in fearmongering tone," said Crystal Sanchez, president of the Sacramento Homeless Union. "To end homelessness, we must quit pointing the finger and criminalizing. We must sit down at these tables together and find solutions that end homelessness, not just move people a few blocks away."
Homeless advocates also question if the letter violated the California Code of Judicial Ethics.
"It was a problematic statement," said Anthony Prince, an attorney for the Sacramento Homeless Union. "Judges are supposed to avoid making any public statements that could be interpreted as being partial."
The union is asking to meet with the judge and for him to retract the letter.
In an email Prince shared with ABC10, a spokesperson for the court declined the request to meet to discuss the letter, saying Judge Bowman decided a personal meeting would be "neither appropriate nor productive."
ABC10 asked for Judge Bowman's response to the Sacramento Homeless Union's concerns, but a spokesperson for the Superior Court referred us to the judge's original letter and said "the court has no additional comment."
The advocates are considering filing a formal complaint. They said they don't want it to come to that point and are hoping to hear from the judge.
ABC10 also reached out to Sacramento Police Department about the safety concerns.
In a statement, they said they are aware of the community complaints near the courthouse and are working with city and county partners to identify long-term solutions.
FULL STATEMENT TO ABC10:
"The Sacramento Police Department recognizes the complex societal challenges surrounding persons experiencing homelessness in our city. Our department continues to work with the City of Sacramento and its Department of Community Response, Sacramento County, and other entities to address the root causes of homelessness and identify long-term solutions. Our officers are aware of the community complaints near the Sacramento County Superior Court and continue to address issues as they arise. Our officers handle service calls in that area; however, we have not identified any crime series or trends. Moving forward, our department continues to evaluate the appropriate response to this complex issue relative to all available outreach and enforcement options."
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