A San Francisco jury on June 30, 2026, convicted Andre Meredith, 37, on two counts arising from the theft of $318 in merchandise from a Walgreens [1][2]. The charges, petty theft with two or more prior theft convictions under Penal Code section 666.1(a)/488 and commercial shoplifting under Penal Code section 459.5(a), were prosecuted by the San Francisco District Attorney's Office under California's Proposition 36, the 2024 ballot measure that reinstated felony-level enhancements for prolific retail thieves [1]. The jury also returned true findings on sentencing allegations that Meredith had two prior theft convictions and was on probation at the time of the offense [1].
The case marks one of the first Proposition 36 retail-theft prosecutions to reach a jury verdict in San Francisco, placing the new enhancement framework before a fact-finder for the first time in the county [1]. Proposition 36, approved by California voters in November 2024, reversed portions of Proposition 47's 2014 sentencing reductions and allows prosecutors to charge repeat shoplifters with felonies rather than misdemeanors when prior convictions meet the statutory threshold [1]. Deputy District Attorney Henry Gage III tried the case for the prosecution [1].
Sentencing is scheduled for July 17, 2026, before the San Francisco Superior Court [1]. With the prior-conviction and probation allegations found true by the jury, Meredith faces an elevated sentencing range under PC 666.1, though the court retains discretion as to the specific term [1]. No defense counsel was identified in available reporting.