|
|
Prosecutors 101
In Utah, a prosecutor is also known as a County Attorney or a District Attorney. A prosecutor is the most powerful actor in the criminal justice system. When someone is accused of a crime, a prosecutor decides what charges to file, what bond to argue, and what plea deal to offer. A judge has little to no involvement with these decisions, and a jury rarely hears a case at trial where most cases end with plea deals. The prosecutor brings the power of the state, which includes law enforcement, against an individual and can deprive that person of life, liberty, and property. Often, a person accused of a crime does not have the same resources to defend themselves in court.
Why Prosecutorial Reform?
Prosecutors with "tough-on-crime" policies have resulted in the United States having the highest incarceration rate in the world. Those incarcerated are disproportionately minority populations, poor, or both. These issues exist in Utah, where 43% of people newly incarcerated to the Utah Department of Corrections are minorities. Additionally, there is little to no oversight for a prosecutor's charging decisions or plea offers. Often, prosecutors resist transparency and accountability for their office. This has happened in Utah County, where the County Attorney's office has resisted efforts by the County Commission to create a review board to make sure prosecutors are serving the ends of justice through fair play and just outcomes.
Prosecutorial reform means fundamentally altering the incentives that drive prosecutors. It means supporting reform-minded prosecutors committed to reducing incarceration and prioritizing alternatives that are more effective at preventing future crime and improving community health. It means supporting prosecutorial practices that proactively address racial disparities in the criminal justice system. It also means holding prosecutors accountable like never before—in the courts, in the legislatures, and in the court of public opinion—when they operate in the dark, seek convictions at any cost, or stand in the way of the growing public consensus demanding an overhaul of the criminal justice system.
Prosecutorial reform means fundamentally altering the incentives that drive prosecutors. It means supporting reform-minded prosecutors committed to reducing incarceration and prioritizing alternatives that are more effective at preventing future crime and improving community health. It means supporting prosecutorial practices that proactively address racial disparities in the criminal justice system. It also means holding prosecutors accountable like never before—in the courts, in the legislatures, and in the court of public opinion—when they operate in the dark, seek convictions at any cost, or stand in the way of the growing public consensus demanding an overhaul of the criminal justice system.
Prosecutor Accountability
The 2018 prosector elections are behind us, but we can start looking ahead to the 2022 elections by holding prosecutors accountable over the next four years. This includes seeing whether elected prosecutors committed to their campaign promises and whether they are pushing their offices to address mass incarceration and racial disparities in the criminal justice system. We need to demand that prosecutors make fighting mass incarceration and racial bias a priority, especially in off-election years.
Contact Your Local Prosecutor
Click on a county name below to view contact information for your local prosecutor.