We see this study as an opportunity for “change” and “engagement” of The People. The needed component for buy-in.

TRUTH & SENTENCING
We will re-visit Truth & Sentencing.
A law created in the State of Wisconsin that was basically without representation of African Americans and People of Color. It was “punitive driven” with “a tough on crime facade”; and, little to NO regard for options of sentencing, capacity, funding, and real safety.

Like the Truth and Sentencing, if this study is allowed to just have a DA coloring, it will NOT have BALANCE.

If this study is without PEOPLE OF COLOR and THE WORKING POOR, it will be business as usual which tends to be “uninclusive”, “bias”, “marginalizing”, “not in touch with the facts”, “too long on punishment without a BALANCE”, “lacking judgment” and “INFLATING DISTRUST by the PEOPLE.

We know that this is a huge opportunity to address with those “in office” and “in trust” without the self-crowning egos.

Voters and taxpayers being placed in a position of awareness and commitment.

We must come to some solutions that are rooted in customer care, best practices, and yes, following the law. We must face the music, just as some people must be imprisoned for the duration of their life, we must also recognize that punishment by imprisonment is not alway the best option.

We must also be willing to say that the process is flawed because we are dealing with the human element - law enforcement, law breaker, judge, system and jury.

The three (3) counties will help our cities, towns and villages all over the USA and the world if we fully take advantage of this grand opportunity.

Let’s do this.

Government Partners/DA Offices

District Attorney Peter Gilchrist III
Mecklenburg County (North Carolina)

The District Attorney is an attorney who is elected for a four-year term by the voters within the district he or she serves. District Attorneys are not allowed to engage in the private practice of law.

The primary duty of the District Attorney is to prosecute all criminal cases filed in the district. The District Attorney represents the state in all criminal and some juvenile matters. In addition, the District Attorney is responsible for preparing the criminal trial docket and advising law enforcement officers in the district.

Peter Gilchrist, a native of Mecklenburg County, has served as its District Attorney since his election in 1975. Mr. Gilchrist graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his law degree from Duke University School of Law in 1965. Prior to his election in 1975, he worked as an Assistant Solicitor in Mecklenburg County.

District Attorney Bonnie M. Dumanis
San Diego County

Bonnie Dumanis is the first woman to serve as the District Attorney for San Diego County. Since taking office in January 2003, DA Dumanis has shown extraordinary leadership in several areas. With public safety as her top priority, her office has focused on crime prevention, reducing recidivism, helping victims and keeping the office transparent and accessible to the people of San Diego County.

Under DA Dumanis’ direction, the office helped write and pass California’s Proposition 83, known as Jessica’s Law. This new law tightens restrictions on child molesters and sexually violent predators and makes California one of the toughest states in the nation in dealing with these offenders.

DA Dumanis also initiated a major reorganization of an office structure that had not seen change for more than three decades. She surrounds herself with an experienced, knowledgeable and diverse management team. Her second-in-command, Assistant District Attorney Jesse Rodriguez, is the highest ranking Hispanic to serve in the office. She leads an office of more than 1,000 employees, including more than 300 attorneys and 150-plus investigators. Dumanis is committed to promotions based on merit and performance and has implemented an effective employee training and recognition program.

The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for prosecuting all felonies in the County of San Diego and all misdemeanor crimes in the unincorporated areas of the county. It is the second largest DA Office in California and the sixth largest in the United States. It serves a population equal to the entire state of Mississippi.

DA Dumanis began her career in the San Diego DA’s office as a junior clerk typist. She studied law at night and received her Juris Doctorate degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 1976. DA Dumanis served as a prosecutor for 12 years under former District Attorney Ed Miller.

In 1994, DA Dumanis was elected to the Municipal Court. She served in this capacity for the next four years using her strength in organizational leadership to create one of the first Drug Courts in San Diego, which has since been recognized as a national model.

In 1998, DA Dumanis was elected to the San Diego Superior Court. During her tenure on the bench, DA Dumanis again was the driving force behind another innovative program called Domestic Violence Court. This project has been proven to reduce recidivism among perpetrators. Her ideas about stressing accountability and treatment for the batterers have received statewide recognition. Throughout her career, DA Dumanis has been recognized as a team builder and organizational strategist.

Besides her dedication to the criminal justice system, DA Dumanis has never wavered in her support of community and civic organizations. She serves on the California State Bar Association Board of Governors, California District Attorneys Association Board of Directors, is a Commissioner for California Peace Officers Standards and Training, a member of the San Diego County Police Chiefs and Sheriff’s Association, an Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association Member, a past president of the Lawyers Club of San Diego, served on the Board of Directors of the San Diego Bar Association and taught ethics at the University Of San Diego School Of Law.

DA Dumanis has also been recognized by the YWCA Tribute to Women Award, the California Women in Government Law and Justice Award and the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary Women of Dedication Award.

DA Dumanis has never forgotten her first job in DA’s office and keeps a plaque in her office that reads, “The clerk helping in your division today may be your boss tomorrow.”

District Attorney John Chisholm

The District Attorney of Milwaukee County is assisted directly by five deputy district attorneys.

In addition, the legal staff is composed of approximately 125 assistant district attorneys, all of whom represent the State of Wisconsin in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, generally in connection with criminal cases. Within the office, there are a number of specialized units for offenses involving homicides, drug violations, sexual assaults, white collar crimes, domestic violence, and consumer fraud.

There are also units which prosecute felonies, misdemeanors, and offenses involving juveniles.

Mission Statement: The mission of the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office is to promote public peace and safety by just and vigorous prosecution; to seek and to do impartial justice by ensuring that the guilty are punished and the innocent go free; to protect the health and welfare of children who are victims of child abuse and neglect; and to safeguard the rule of law and to promote citizens’ participation in law enforcement by treating all persons who come in contact with the criminal justice system with fairness, dignity, and respect.

Elected in 2006.