Murlene Randle, ’80

*Director of the Office of Criminal Justice for San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom*

It is impossible to speak with Murlene Randle ’80 about her career in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office without getting the chills as she describes some of the cases in her career. For example, the hostility she felt in a courtroom full of police officers "looking at me as the enemy," she says, as she boldly prosecuted their fellow police officer for sexually abusing a female colleague as well as his ex-wife.

During her 21 years in the D.A.’s office, Randle made a name for herself as a fierce advocate for victims of child abuse, sexual assault, and other violent crimes. Now, she is taking her commitment to make San Francisco a safer place out of the courtroom and into the community in her new job as director of the Office of Criminal Justice of Mayor Gavin Newsom B.A. ’89.

In this position, she assists Newsom in setting policies in the area of criminal justice and funding programs that are consistent with these policies. This year, her office will award 40 to 50 grants to community-based organizations that address issues such as truancy, gun use, gang activities, and juvenile justice. 

Newsom describes Randle as "a great asset. She combines a thorough knowledge of the criminal justice system in San Francisco with compassion and real caring. This, along with her excellent people skills, makes her an ideal person for this job."

Daughter of a sharecropper in the Mississippi Delta, Randle worked her way through both college and law school, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Jackson State University in 1973 and a J.D. from SCU in 1980. She joined the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office in 1981. Her leadership skills propelled her to become the first African-American to head the Sexual Assault Unit in San Francisco in 1996. The next year, she was promoted to head of homicide, where she had the distinction of being the only African-American woman holding that position in the country. Randle was the first African-American woman to be made co-chief and later chief of the criminal division for San Francisco, emphasizing crimes against women and children, and later chief assistant district attorney for the city.

Former District Attorney Terrence Hallinan, under whom Randle served for two-terms, calls Randle "a gold star." "She is a terrific lawyer and a very warm person. She has a lot of compassion for the victims she has worked with."

Jim Hammer, former SCU law professor, who succeeded Randle as head of homocide, says, "Murlene reawakened in me my commitment and connection to the African-American community that I developed when I taught school in Watts as a Jesuit. I have always admired her spirit, what she came from—growing up in the segregated South—and what she has become."

Randle’s success lies not only in her conviction rate (22 of 23 cases one year) but in the effect she has had on others’ lives. Marcela Espino, the sexual assault victim whose police officer-ex-husband Randle prosecuted, says, "She is an amazing human being who has a lot of empathy. Now, I work with victims of crime because of her. I will never forget what she has done for me."

Randle could not be more pleased to be working for a fellow SCU graduate. "Working with Mayor Newsom is very inspiring and very energizing," she says. "He brings an excitement and youthful quality as well as wisdom and insight. He thinks with his heart as well as his head. I hope that he goes far, and I would be honored to continue working with him. I’m glad SCU gave us both this opportunity."

Regarding SCU, Newsom adds, "Santa Clara University does a wonderful job in providing a solid academic education while emphasizing compassion, ethics, and social responsibility. I see these values in Murlene Randle on a daily basis."