Dennis Opatrny, veteran SF reporter of crime and courts, dies

Dennis Opatrny, veteran SF reporter of crime and courts, dies

Dennis J. Opatrny, a veteran San Francisco reporter who covered everything from cops to courts to major scandals, died in San Francisco on June 17 after complications from surgery.

Mr. Opatrny, who spent 25 years at the San Francisco Examiner, was a legend in the news business.

“He was one of the best police reporters I ever knew,” said Leonard Sellers, a journalism professor emeritus at San Francisco State University.

Pat’s curiosity and openness caused people to tell him things that not every one of their associates wanted public.

Mr. Opatrny covered the state capital for a time, he covered crime and the courts, and, working on a team with reporters Stephanie Salter and Elizabeth Fernandez, wrote stories that exposed child sex abuse and corruption by San Francisco’s Catholic clergy.

Mr. Opatrny was a bit of an old-school reporter who loved stories and loved adventure.