THE PUBLIC. AND RIGHT NOW, THE PUBLIC IS NOT BEING PROTECTED. >> TOMORROW MORNING, IN A SAN FRANCISCO COURTROOM, THE CASE DRAGS ON FOR A WOMAN ACCUSED OF BEING A VERY PROLIFIC SHOPLIFTER. THAT TYPE OF CRIME HAS HAD A DRAMATIC IMPACT ON OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, AND WE WANTED TO EXPLORE WHY THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM SEEMS TO GRIND SO SLOWLY ON THIS. I-TEAM REPORTER DAN NOYES HAS BEEN ON THE CASE FOR MONTHS, ACTUALLY, AND HE'S HERE WITH WHAT HE'S FOUND OUT. DAN. WELL, DAN AZIZA GRAVES MADE HEADLINES TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, ACCUSED OF HITTING THE SAME TARGET STORE 120 TIMES AND STEALING MORE THAN $40,000 WORTH OF MERCHANDISE. >> WE NEVER SAW HER FACE OR HEARD HER SIDE OF THE STORY UNTIL NOW. RESEARCHING ONE STORY SOMETIMES LEADS TO ANOTHER. I INTERVIEWED SAN FRANCISCO DISTRICT ATTORNEY BROOKE JENKINS LAST OCTOBER ABOUT THE CHALLENGE OF PROSECUTING CAR BREAK-INS, ESPECIALLY BY REPEAT OFFENDERS. ARE THERE CERTAIN JUDGES WHO ARE MORE DIFFICULT IN TERMS OF GETTING A CONVICTION IN CASES LIKE THIS? >> WHAT I WILL SAY IS THERE ARE JUDGES WHO WILL OFFER THEIR OWN PLEA BARGAIN TO DEFENDANTS OF OURS. THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT. >> JENKINS TOLD ME JUDGES SOMETIMES UNDERCUT PROSECUTORS AND GIVE DEFENDANTS A BETTER DEAL, AND WE'RE HAVING THAT HAPPEN IN A CASE RIGHT NOW INVOLVING A REPEAT OFFENDER OF THEFT. WHICH CASE IS THAT? CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT CASE THAT IS, YES, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THAT IS THE AZIZA GRAVES CASE. >> WITH THAT, I DOVE INTO THE SHOPLIFTING CASE AGAINST 42 YEAR OLD AZIZA GRAVES, PULLED HER CASE FILE AND MET HER IN COURT. >> I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT YOUR CASE AT SOME POINT, AT SOME POINT, I'D BE WILLING TO TALK ABOUT YOU. WITH YOU FOR SURE. OKAY, GREAT. >> HER RECORDS SHOW HOW THE CASE DEVELOPED. MAY 20TH, 21. SECURITY STAFF FROM THE STONESTOWN TARGET MET WITH DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHESA BOUDIN, HIS OFFICE COMPLAINING THAT GRAY'S REPEATEDLY STOLE FROM THE STORE. MONTHS PASSED WITH NO ARREST. THEN BOUDIN FACED ACCUSATIONS OF BEING SOFT ON CRIME. NOVEMBER 9TH OF 2021 THE DEPARTMENT OF ELECTIONS CONFIRMED THAT HIS OPPONENTS, INCLUDING CURRENT DA BROOKE JENKINS, HAD GATHERED ENOUGH SIGNATURES TO FORCE A RECALL ELECTION. THE NEXT WEEK, BOUDIN SENT THIS TWEET. BREAKING NEWS. SFDA OFFICE OPERATION RESULTS IN ARREST OF PROLIFIC RETAIL THIEF. MORE THAN 100 SEPARATE THEFTS. THANK YOU TO SFPD FOR ASSISTING. MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON. AZIZA GRAVES WAS ARRESTED, RELEASED ON HER OWN RECOGNIZANCE AND A MONTH LATER SHE HAS NOW BEEN ARRESTED AGAIN AFTER BEING RELEASED LAST WEEK. >> THIS TIME, AZIZA GRAVES WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AT THE WESTFIELD SAN FRANCISCO CENTER MALL. ON SATURDAY. >> THE CRIMINAL COMPLAINT LISTS THEFTS FROM ABERCROMBIE AND FITCH, SAFEWAY AND 120 THEFTS FROM THE STONESTOWN TARGET STORE, TOTALING MORE THAN $40,000. AUTHORITIES SAY GRAVES WOULD OFTEN STEAL JUGS OF LAUNDRY DETERGENT THAT CAN EASILY BE SOLD IN SAN FRANCISCO'S ILLEGAL NIGHT MARKETS ALONG MARKET STREET. THAT WAS 2021, GOING ON THREE YEARS LATER. AZIZA GRAVES HAS FACED MORE THAN TWO DOZEN HEARINGS. SHE'S STILL ON THE STREETS, AND HER SHOPLIFTING CASE KEEPS DRAGGING ON. >> I DON'T THINK I SHOULD BE ON TRIAL FOR ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, GRAVES TOLD ME. >> SHE IS HOMELESS AND SLEEPS ON FRIENDS COUCHES, AND THAT SHE HAS A HARD TIME JUST SURVIVING. HER PUBLIC DEFENDER DECLINED TO COMMENT. >> LET ME TALK TO THIS GUY. >> WE WENT OUTSIDE THE HALL OF JUSTICE FOR AN INTERVIEW. I STARTED WITH A BASIC QUESTION. SO WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CASE, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I HAD NO INTENTION OF LETTING YOU GO. I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS. THIS IS. YEAH. THIS IS STUPID. >> IN AN EMAIL TO ME, GRAVES EXPLAINED SHE WAS USING THE SELF-CHECKOUT AT A SAFEWAY, AND THE MACHINE SAID PAYMENT COMPLETE. AFTER PUTTING IN JUST $0.01, I HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW $0.01 COULD EQUAL 100. SHE SENT ME THIS CONVOLUTED TABULATION THAT CONCLUDES THE ACTUAL VALUE OF WHAT WE CALL A PENNY IS 0.000001 CREDITS, OR $100 MILLION, GRAVES WROTE WHEN SHE TOLD THE SAFEWAY STAFF, THEY SAID, YOU ARE STEALING AND KICKED ME OUT. TARGET WAS NEXT. I WENT TO TARGET EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR ABOUT A YEAR BEFORE I WAS ARRESTED. JUDGE BRENDAN CONROY OFFERED GRAVES A PLEA DEAL, REDUCING THE 138 COUNTS DOWN TO A SINGLE GRAND THEFT FELONY WITH A TWO YEAR SENTENCE. WITH GOOD BEHAVIOR AND TIME SERVED. AZIZA GRAVES COULD BE OUT IN ABOUT FOUR MONTHS. THE TRANSCRIPT SHOWS JUDGE CONROY DID THAT AGAINST THE WISHES OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER, WHO SAID GRAVES IS INNOCENT AND THE PROSECUTION. >> THAT'S JUST NOT THE WAY IT USED TO WORK AND IT'S NOT THE WAY IT SHOULD WORK. >> RICHARD CRAMER WAS A SAN FRANCISCO SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS, HANDLING SERIOUS VIOLENT FELONIES AND COMPLEX CIVIL LITIGATION. I ASKED HIM ABOUT BROOKE JENKINS FRUSTRATION WITH JUDGES LIKE BRENDAN CONROY, AND THEY CAN SOMETIMES UNDERCUT US IN IN COURT AND SAY, I'VE GOT A BETTER OFFER FOR YOU. DO YOU UNDERSTAND HER FRUSTRATION? >> OF COURSE I'M FRUSTRATED. WHY DO YOU THINK I'M LIVING IN NAPA NOW? I LIVED IN SAN FRANCISCO FOREVER, JUDGE CRAMER TELLS ME IN THE CAR BREAK INS, THE SHOPLIFTING, THE STORES, LEAVING WHAT USED TO BE PRIME SAN FRANCISCO REAL ESTATE, WE ARE SEEING THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL POLICIES THAT EMPHASIZE REHABILITATION FOR CRIMINALS OVER PUBLIC SAFETY. THE COURT SYSTEM IS NOT A PARENTING PROCESS. IT WOULD BE NICE IF YOU COULD HELP PEOPLE AND YOU SHOULD, BUT ONLY AFTER YOU DO WHAT YOUR MAIN JOB IS, WHICH IS ENFORCING THE LAW AND PROTECTING THE PUBLIC. >> THERE ARE A HOST OF PEOPLE WHO DISAGREE WITH JUDGE CRAMER AND SAY CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM IS ESSENTIAL. AZIZA GRAVES IS BACK IN COURT TOMORROW AFTER THE PLEA DEAL FELL THROUGH. SHE'S HEADED FOR MORE HEARINGS AND A TRIAL UNLESS SOMETHING CHANGES ONCE AGAIN AND YOU'LL FOLLOW IT. >> WHAT A REMARKABLE SITUATION
