Shining a Light on Justice: The Crucial Role of Transparency in Local Prosecutorial Decisions
In the pursuit of a fair and equitable justice system, transparency plays a pivotal role in ensuring accountability and building public trust. This holds especially true for local prosecutorial decisions, encompassing plea deals, sentencing, and diversion programs. In this blog post, we delve into the top three reasons why transparency in these decisions is imperative for creating a justice system that stands on the pillars of fairness and integrity.
Crime spike threatens to politically squash prosecutors’ efforts to reform
An OpEd: State prosecutors focused on progress face tough on crime narratives that threaten their reelection.
Criminal justice reform dominated the national discussion the past few years. In May 2020, when Minneapolis police killed George Floyd, the criminal justice reform movement gained national attention...
How Trayvon Martin’s Story Impacts Me
Instead, I should unerringly try to be a positive force in this world rather than sitting idly by and accepting harmful rules and expectations. Therefore, I now live for Trayvon Martin, and all others persecuted for being African American. As such, I will continue to fight for positive change in the criminal justice system.
How Kalief Browder’s Story Impacts Me
Any system or situation that compels someone to kill themselves is unacceptable and deserves to be earnestly reconsidered and altered. Although Browder committed suicide after being released, he represents many people who commit suicide while imprisoned.
How Michael Brown’s Story Impacts Me
Our country should be a place where all people, no matter their race or perceived criminality, experience fairness in the criminal justice system rather than being killed by police officers. Thus, we need to make sure that we are using comprehensive, data-driven practices, from start to finish, to ensure respect and fairness for all people involved with the system.
My Call to Action
However, I recently took classes at American University where I met criminal justice agents who emphasized the power of people to effect change from inside and outside the system. They understood the importance of justice for all and actively fought for that very idea. Their insight and passion revitalized my dream.
Diversity Counts: My Experience as a Black Prosecutor
When I was in law school, I wanted to be a prosecutor. It was my dream. My passion. I’ll never forget my mother feeling confused at my decision. “You want to persecute people?” she pondered. But I viewed it as a tremendous opportunity to do the work I loved, trial work.
When I began at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office in 2000 as an Assistant District Attorney, at least half of my incoming class, of about 75 attorneys, were women. We also had a strong representation of African American, Latinx, Muslim, and Asian attorneys. We truly reflected the communities we served. It was a vibrant, diverse group. I realized that our varied backgrounds would allow us to view our caseloads with a more practical and fair perspective.
Reimagining the Role of the Prosecutor
Can state prosecutors stem mass incarceration and increase fairness?
Absolutely.
The most powerful official in the criminal justice system is the state prosecutor. She decides who will be charged and the severity and nature of the offense(s). She also determines the plea offers and presents sentencing and bail recommendations. And it is only the prosecutor who can dismiss charges. Judges, criminal defense lawyers, and even legislatures, do not have the same power as prosecutors. Because they have the most power, transformational change must start with them.
What needs to be done?
What has become of our public defender system?
When I was a prosecutor in Brooklyn, the Legal Aid Society and the Brooklyn Defender Service were my opposing counsel. As a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in D.C., the D.C. Public Defender’s Office was our adversary. All of these offices had stellar attorneys and appeared to have adequate funding and resources. Their goal was to provide effective assistance of counsel to their clients. They truly fought for their clients.
But that’s not the case nationally.