My Position on Equal Justice Under the Law

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As District Attorney for the 7th Judicial District, I vigorously and defiantly denounce prejudice and injustice. 

As a person of Hispanic descent who grew up in an inner-city neighborhood, I have an intimate understanding of the long-term impact that both blatant discrimination and implicit bias can have on the trajectory of person’s life and future success.

I acknowledge and support the need for meaningful and on-going change to prevent the appalling and unnecessary tragedies our county has witnessed, while still allowing law enforcement to perform their essential duties to keep our cities, towns, and neighborhoods safe. 

The highlight of my career has been standing up for the rights of child victims by aggressively prosecuting sex offenses and child abuse crimes in our communities.

I believe that there are two sides to justice: justice in how we treat persons accused of criminal offenses, and justice for innocent victims of violent and heinous crimes.

In 2021 our office participated in a pilot program to create more public transparency about how we do our jobs. We identified several specific areas of disparity at key decision points. This has provided valuable information about how we operate, treat every member of our communities, and take the steps necessary to make meaningful changes.