King County Prosecuting Attorney

I am committed to protecting public safety and increasing community health. The PAO succeeds in its mission and improving the criminal legal system if they have:

● Worked to reduce crime and recidivism, which includes strengthening crime prevention strategies and offering effective diversion programs and alternatives to incarceration

● Identified and addressed chronic perpetrators, which includes interrupting repeated cycles of crime and offering services to address behavioral and mental health issues

● Worked to reduce the fear of crime, which includes sharing data to dispel fear-mongering and myths and to focus scarce resources on hot spots and chronic perpetrators

● Served victims and families with care and respect

● Reduced language barriers

● Promoted better understanding of victims and communities

● Promoted inclusivity and acceptance of cultural differences

● Offered culturally sensitive and effective services

● Offered early interventions closer to the time of harm

● Partnered with community-based resources to increase capacity and cultural responsiveness

I know how to collaborate across jurisdictions to improve community well-being and safety. My community ties will also allow me to build effective public/private partnerships, blending the talents and effectiveness of King County government combined with community-based resources.

In order to prevent crime and reduce recidivism, we must make significant investments in prevention and in tackling the root causes of crime. Addressing underlying trauma, mental health, behavioral health, and substance use disorders, along with ensuring equitable access to healthcare, early childhood learning, educational and workforce opportunities all serve to set people up for success. Research shows that addressing underlying root causes reduces crime and recidivism.

No – within the criminal justice system, I am a strong proponent of using therapeutic alternatives such as LEAD, Drug Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans’ Court to connect individuals who find themselves entangled in the justice system to important services that help prevent homelessness by addressing root causes.

As Prosecuting Attorney, I will also work to protect and enhance victim services. Data reveals that individuals experiencing homelessness are more likely to become victims of crime. Protecting public safety includes protecting those who are vulnerable. I will support laws and policies that increase services and capacity to ensure increased levels of shelter, affordable housing, and access to treatment and medical services.

Not all cases are appropriate for diversion. Violent crimes, sexual assaults, repeat property crimes, and gun cases should be prosecuted. We rely on law enforcement to refer serious felony cases to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and not turn a blind eye.

As Prosecutor, I will continue to use qualitative and quantitative data to determine the effectiveness of diversion programs and if they are working to reduce crime. Right now, we know there are many successful diversion programs at the County level, and that they work best when launched with clear goals and objectives in partnership with the community.

I believe in the effectiveness of community-based programs because I have seen the data and because I have heard directly from people who have been positively impacted by diversion programs. Effective diversion programs are our best upstream solution to provide individuals with the support and resources needed to succeed. Community, police, and prosecutors can work together to divert non-violent cases out of the justice system and to violence by strengthening pro-social norms and protective factors in our communities, while also working to decrease risk factors. These efforts are data-driven. Research shows that connecting individuals to structure and opportunities, such as employment, job mentorship and training, educational supports, and behavioral interventions can improve individual and community well-being and reduce violence.

As Prosecutor, my efforts will be data-driven and rooted in a collaborative, common sense approach to address both incidents of crime and root causes, while reducing the very expensive cost of incarceration.

In order to effectively prevent crime and victimization, we must build a society that supports the well-being of everyone. Prosecutors must expand their roles beyond the criminal legal system and partner with our communities to transform underlying conditions of inequity, rather than focus solely on the symptoms (i.e. crime). Our ultimate goal should be to prevent crime and victimization from occurring in the first place by ensuring an equitable distribution of resources and opportunities. This will lead to significant reductions in social problems and challenges, including crime. This is why I support restorative justice and diversion programs as collaborative, effective crime prevention strategies for non-violent offenses.

Within the criminal justice system, I am a strong proponent of using therapeutic alternatives such as LEAD, Drug Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans’ Court to connect individuals who find themselves entangled in the justice system to important services that address root causes. Eligibility criteria should be drafted and reviewed with an equity lens to ensure access to alternatives are equitable and low/no barrier

Prosecutors have unreviewable discretion to determine what cases to file and what charges are appropriate. How prosecutors characterize and charge behavior directly impacts the lives of the charged individual and victims/survivors of crime.

In an ideal world, the Prosecutor’s Office and its employees are committed to promoting a justice system grounded in fairness, equity, and compassion. This includes applying applicable law to criminal cases in a fair and transparent manner that respects human dignity, protects constitutional rights, and earns and maintains the trust of the communities it serves. In practice, this means:

● Publishing case filing and disposition criteria/standards to demonstrate neutrality and fairness in our decision-making;

● Exercising prosecutorial discretion with humility and restraint in a manner that advances racial equity and justice for victims, families, and the accused;

● Offering fair and appropriate case dispositions, and promptly sharing evidence and discovery with defense and the accused;

● Protecting against bias in charging decisions by requiring regular training for deputies and staff on implicit bias and using checklists and other equity screening tools to ensure neutrality and fairness in our decision-making;

● Using data to actively identify and address disparities in the criminal legal system and learning our Country’s true history and dismantling systemic racism and other forms of oppression within the criminal legal system;

● Identifying nonviolent crimes that are more effectively addressed with diversion to community-based resources to increase access to the services that address root causes of crime and offer opportunities to lift individuals out of crisis and poor decision-making.

● Inviting our communities’ participation in crafting and implementing restorative justice practices to effectively address harm and the root causes of crime;

● Offering culturally responsive and restorative services to victims and survivors.

As Chief of Staff, I have worked to eliminate explicit and implicit bias in our office’s decision-making in all stages of the prosecution of criminal cases. I launched the PAO’s Equity Social Justice Committee and initiated a movement within the office to openly discuss race and race equity. Some of the race equity reforms that I sponsored include:

● Mandatory implicit bias training for all PAO employees

● Mandatory cultural competency training for all PAO employees

● PAO viewing and discussion of Ava DuVernay’s documentary “13th”

● PAO viewing and discussion of the PBS series “Race: The Power of An Illusion”

Eliminating bias requires ongoing work. We can also use checklists and other equity screening tools to ensure neutrality and fairness in our decision-making, and we must invite the participation of our BIPOC communities in this work.

With every contact with the public, the accused, law enforcement, and victims and their families, prosecutors and staff have an opportunity to build confidence in our justice system. The consistent application of criminal law is an important part of this work. I support these policies and practices:

● Publishing case filing and disposition criteria/standards to demonstrate neutrality and fairness in our decision-making;

● Offering fair and appropriate case dispositions, and promptly sharing evidence and discovery with defense and the accused;

● Protecting against bias in charging decisions by requiring regular training for deputies and staff on implicit bias and using checklists and other equity screening tools to ensure neutrality and fairness in our decision-making;

● Identifying nonviolent crimes that are more effectively addressed with diversion to community-based resources to increase access to the services that address root causes of crime and offer opportunities to lift individuals out of crisis and poor decision-making.

As part of my commitment to build a fair and transparent justice system, I have also worked, as the Chief of Staff, to build a diverse team, representative of the communities in which we serve. Including the voices and values of our BIPOC, marginalized, and vulnerable communities helps to ensure that we are reflecting the values of the communities we serve and also helps keep us accountable for our decisions and actions.