Courtesy photo

Bill Fazio

Correction: A previous version of this post erroneously reported that Bill Fazio had filed papers to run for district attorney. He has not yet made a final decision about whether to run.

Bill Fazio, a prominent defense attorney, is close to making a decision about whether to run for San Francisco district attorney in the November election.

Based on information from former state Sen. Quentin Kopp, a former judge and supervisor deeply involved in city politics, The Bay Citizen erroneously reported earlier Wednesday afternoon that Fazio had already filed papers.

Responding to telephone messages left for him earlier in the afternoon, Fazio said at 5:15 p.m. that he was still interviewing prospective campaign managers and would make a final decision in the middle of next week. Aug. 12 is the deadline to declare candidacy.

Fazio said that he and Kopp discussed his possible candidacy Tuesday, with Kopp strongly encouraging Fazio, a former prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney's office, to run. "He didn't feel the field [of declared candidates] was very strong," Fazio said. "Quentin was very supportive and encouraged me to run."

Fazio has sought the position before. In 1995, despite an endorsement form the San Francisco Chronicle, he lost to former Supervisor Terence Hallinan.

The DA's race is shaping up to be an interesting one, with the incumbent, former police chief George Gascón, fighting to be elected to the office that departing Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed him to in January.

The other candidates are former Police Commissioner David Onek and Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Sharmin Bock, who was reported to have been on Newsom's short list of possible appointees to fill the DA post when Kamala Harris left it to become the state attorney general.

Fazio is dismissive of the already-declared candidates. Bock "at least has experience," he said. "The other two, it's like oh my God, they have no idea what the office is about."