WE MUST ACHIEVE JUSTICE FOR 97-YEAR OLD MRS. ANH PENG TAYLOR
WE MUST ACHIEVE JUSTICE FOR 97-YEAR OLD MRS. ANH PENG TAYLOR, CHINESE
AND VIETNAMESE ELDERLY WOMAN BRUTALLY ATTACKED AND VICIOUSLY STABBED
IN SAN FRANCISCO IN 2021
BY ANH LÊ
A protest rally was held on the front steps of the Hall of Justice on March 22 to denounce the decision handed down by Judge Kay Tsenin a week earlier in the case of Daniel Cauich, who brutally attacked and viciously stabbed Mrs. Anh Peng Taylor in 2021.
An estimated 80 protestors loudly chanted their denunciation of Judge Tsenin’s decision.
Mrs. Taylor, a 97 year old Chinese and Vietnamese woman, was born in Haiphong, Vietnam in 1926. She arrived in San Francisco in the early 1970’s.
Mrs. Taylor was beginning her morning walk near her apartment on June 16, 2021 when she was brutally attacked and viciously stabbed multiple times by 35 year old Daniel Cauich. In the video showing the attack, Cauich could be seen walking up to Mrs. Taylor, and then stabbing her hard repeatedly in the abdomen, torso, and arm. Cauich walked away, while Mrs. Taylor fell against a building wall nearby. She suffered serious injuries from her stab wounds and fall. Cauich reportedly cut off his GPS ankle monitor after attacking her. Cauich knew exactly what he was doing.
Cauich was charged with attempted murder, assault causing serious bodily injury, and elder abuse.
The San Francisco District Attorney’s office asked the Court for a 12 year prison sentence.
Cauich’s public defender asked for a 10 year suspended sentence.
At the March 15 court hearing, Judge Tsenin combined Cauich’s charges with a burglary charge, gave him 5 years probation, no prison time, no trial, and assigned him to Intensive Supervision Court.
Cauich had also been arrested in 2016 for a murder in San Francisco’s Mission district, where the victim was stabbed. However, a judge dismissed that charge on a technicality.
I believe that Judge Tsenin’s decision was a great mistake. She did not hold Cauich accountable for his violent and vicious crimes against Mrs. Taylor.
The protestors at the Hall of Justice carried large signs, including “Justice For Anh Peng Taylor,” “Stop Asian Hate,” “Protect Our Seniors,” “Safety Is A Human Right,” “Asians Deserve Justice,” “Stand With Asian Americans,” “Fight Asian Hate,” “Stop Anti-Asian Hate Crimes,” “Jail Time For Violent Crimes,” “No Justice, No Peace,” “Judicial Leniencies = Justice Denied,” “Judicial Discretion Run Amok,” and “Oust Lenient Judges.”
There were Chinese Americans, Filipino Americans, and Vietnamese Americans.
Mark Farrell, a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors who is running for mayor, held his sign, “No Justice, No Peace.” Mayoral candidate Daniel Lurie and Board of Supervisors member Matt Dorsey were also protesting.
Leanna Louie, a public safety advocate and victims rights advocate who conducts safety patrol walks in Chinatown, held her large homemade signs, “JUSTICE FOR ANH PENG TAYLOR,” “DO YOUR JOB! JUDGE KAY TSENIN!”
Justin Zhu of “Stand With Asians,” Hudson Liao of “Asians Are Strong,” and Hatun Noguera, a Court Watch coordinator at the crime prevention organization “Stop Crime SF” protested loudly.
Louie stated, “Judge Kay Tsenin’s decision to put David Cauich on probation is atrocious! This shows poor judgement and disregard for the victim. It is not acceptable.”
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins spoke at the rally, “When we see our seniors being violently attacked and there be no actual consequences for it, yes we are going to come together and we are going to stand together against what is happening.”
“We want to make sure that our Asian seniors have the ability to walk down the street safely in our city. If there is no accountability for the people who attack them, if we don’t have adequate consequences for that behavior, it will continue.”
I attended the court hearing which followed the protest rally, along with some of the protestors.
The hearing, which started half an hour late, was presided by Judge Tsenin via Zoom. However, most of it was taken up with other cases.
Toward the end of the court session, Judge Tsenin announced that the Cauich case would be rescheduled to April 12. It was clear to us that the protest rally earlier that morning and the presence of some of the protestors in the courtroom had been noticed by Judge Tsenin, and had made an impact.
I attended the court hearing on April 12, presided by Judge Jeffrey Ross, who is in charge of the Intensive Supervision Court program.
Before the 10:30 am court hearing, there had been a closed session where the prosecutor and Cauich’s public defender had met with Judge Ross.
At the court hearing, Assistant District Attorney Nancy Tung looked confident and firm. She stated that the person who attacked and stabbed Mrs. Anh Peng Taylor must be held fully accountable.
Judge Ross spoke softly and with great care during the proceedings.
He ruled that Cauich is not eligible for the Intensive Supervision Court program, since Cauich was on probation for two felony burglary convictions at the time he attacked and stabbed Mrs. Taylor. Judge Ross scheduled the next court hearing for April 16 in department 29, which will be presided by Judge Tsenin.
THE COURT HEARING SESSION ON APRIL 16 THAT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC WILL BE IN DEPARTMENT 22 AT 9 AM. BEFORE THAT, THERE WILL BE A COURT HEARING THAT WILL NOT BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, IN DEPARTMENT 18. IT WILL BE CONDUCTED VIA ZOOM.
It is important for Asian Americans in San Francisco to let the judicial system and the public know that we are strong and stand united and unified. We cannot remain invisible and silent.
We are strong, and we will speak up and we will let the judicial system in San Francisco, namely all of the judges in San Francisco Superior Court as well as the San Francisco District Attorney’s office, know where we stand on this particular case.
We have the ability to make a strong and powerful impact in safeguarding our rights. We demand Justice for Mrs. Anh Peng Taylor. We will not rest until Justice is achieved for Mrs. Taylor.
LET US TOGETHER DEMAND JUSTICE FOR MRS. ANH PENG TAYLOR!
Anh Lê, a Vietnamese American and resident of San Francisco, was attacked and assaulted by two individuals in front of a Chinese supermarket in Chinatown in November 2019.
(C) 2024 Anh Lê,