The State : Jurors Clear S.F. Officers

A grand jury in San Francisco has cleared four police officers of criminal wrongdoing in the removal of a file in the case of an officer accused of hitting farm labor leader Dolores Huerta. “We are of the opinion that there is not sufficient evidence to lodge criminal charges against anyone,” the grand jury said in a statement to the San Francisco Police Commission. But the panel also voiced concerns about the way police handled their investigation in the Huerta case and said the removal of the memo undermined the public’s “already shaky confidence” in the department. Police Chief Frank Jordan said he is satisfied with the grand jury’s findings. The grand jury had been looking into allegations that Deputy Chief John Jordan, the chief’s brother, and three other officers withheld evidence in the Huerta case. Huerta, a leader of the United Farm Workers, suffered broken ribs and a ruptured spleen when a police officer allegedly hit her with a night stick at a demonstration protesting the presence of then-Vice President George Bush at a fund-raiser. The grand jury, while saying no laws were broken, recommended punishment for officers who deliberately removed the memo. The Police Commission is the only agency that can decide whether to discipline the officers.