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San Francisco District Attorney Candidates Attack Gascon Over Memo

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – A secret memo on San Francisco's DNA Crime Lab has become a hot topic in the upcoming November race for district attorney.

San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon is coming under fire from his opponents in the race for refusing to release the memo, which is thought to provide information on the lab's DNA testing procedures.

KCBS' Barbara Taylor Reports:

Sharmin Bock, who is running against Gascon, is denouncing the secrecy surrounding the memo.

"It is extremely troubling that he is not releasing it," she said. "And that he is also holding out further and appealing."

David Onek, who is also a DA candidate, was equally critical of Gascon's move.

"We're talking about murderers. We're talking about rapists. And we're talking about their cases being jeopardized," Onek said.

Bock called Gascon's refusal to release the memo as the city's "single biggest threat to criminal justice." Onek said the DA is blinded by politics. And another opponent, Bill Fazio, said it shows Gascon lacks integrity and honesty.

A spokeswoman for Gascon accused the three of playing politics and said the issue of whether the memo is an internal communication or evidence in a murder trial is going through the normal legal process.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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