Justice
The role of the District Attorney is, at its very core, to act justly. In many ways, the District Attorney serves as a check in the government system, to ensure the right thing is done. I can promise that my expectation of every employee is that they act justly. Justice is not merely about a sentence, but about the process. Doing justice, means considering the real people who are impacted by crime. The cases are not just files with numbers, but people with lives and loved ones. Justice is not a transaction and cannot be served through a series of checked boxes. For justice to be served, a prosecutor must evaluate the defendant’s behavior and history, and how it has impacted the community. Each prosecutor in Carson City manages a busy calendar and carries over 300 cases. My expectation would be that cases where members of our community are victims are prioritized. Every attorney should put their best effort towards communicating and supporting victims throughout the process.
I was recently assigned to oversee our victim services division at a time when they were short staffed. I took over a caseload as a victim witness coordinator on top of my other job duties. Speaking with victims of crime hours after their lives have forever been altered is a humbling experience that I have been honored to participate in. I remember one victim who was terrified to come to court, but wanted the court to know what happened to her. I was with her through that first bail hearing as she shook next to me, but bravely told the court her concerns for her safety if the defendant was released. I was honored to be there with her and to be with many victims like her. Justice means making sure what is often considered the smallest voice is heard.
Here are just a few of my ideas on how to bring about justice in Carson City:
Utilizing our case management systems online victim portal, so victims can learn real time information about their cases.
Assigning second attorneys to all felony level violent crimes
Training Attorneys and staff on working with people who have experienced trauma
