VOTE411 Voter Guide

Our society penalizes poverty. In the criminal justice system this manifests itself in a number of ways. With our current cash bond system, one’s inability to pay even a $100 bond means that every day in custody brings them closer to homelessness, food insecurity, unemployment, estrangement from family and friends, and in some cases are denied access to necessary treatment and medications. People suffering mental health issues are penalized instead of helped. The poor have limited access to and face long wait times for treatment. Access to Diversion and Problem-solving programs, as alternatives to mass-incarceration, has been curtailed by the imposition of needlessly restrictive guidelines.

Systemic racism and racial profiling are both part of this complex issue. Racism in our society has often kept people of color from advancing economically over the course of generations, and people of color are often targeted by law enforcement for poverty-related offenses. Race, consciously or unconsciously, often influences charging decisions and the severity of sentences. Statistics show that people of color often unjustly receive longer sentences than their white counterparts for the same offense. Non-white Immigrants are being increasingly detained without due process, tearing families apart.

It is unethical for an Office to represent codefendants and clients with conflicting interests. Regarding caseload management, the more attorneys we have, the more cases our Office can handle. Every client we represent means the County pays less to contract outside counsel, whose hourly fees were doubled by the County in 2022. There is a practical limit to the number of clients our Office can represent while still providing effective assistance of counsel. Our caseload standards are data-driven and evolve each year based the actual work done by the attorneys. Adherence to those standards prevents overburdening attorneys and staff, while meeting our obligation to taxpayers by taking as many cases as we can.

The legal system is so complex that the average person can’t navigate the process alone. Yet, the constitutional right to assigned counsel doesn’t apply to all cases, so many people’s legal needs remain unmet. Even when counsel is assigned, significant disparities often exist between the outcomes for the haves and have-nots. This disparity is fundamentally unfair and undermines the community’s faith in the legal system. As a criminal defense attorney who has chosen to serve as a public defender, I have spent my career fighting for the little guy, protecting due process, and ensuring that the system works the same regardless of income level. If I am elected, I will modernize the office so that the attorneys can efficiently do the same.

Research shows disproportionate incarceration is tied to economic disparities and implicit bias. Addressing underlying issues like food insecurity, affordable housing/ health care, and access to education/ job training reduce incarceration rates. As Public Defender, I will fight to ensure members of our community aren't disenfranchised. I am also committed to leading collaboratively with other elected officials and community members to promote policies that address these root causes, reduce crime, and meaningfully rehabilitate. I am endorsed by leaders like Patty Pansing Brooks, Danielle Conrad, and all four Democrat County Commissioners because they know I am committed to working on these issues.

Currently, the office does not have the attorneys necessary to handle Lancaster County’s indigent defense needs largely because of turnover. We have lost seven experienced attorneys since 2024. Beyond the recruiting and training costs associated with replacing these seven attorneys, the county has to pay private attorneys a higher rate to handle the cases we cannot. I will reduce burnout by increasing the use of support staff for non-legal needs, restructuring the office to increase efficiency, and incorporating modern technology and systems used by private firms and larger public defender offices nationwide. I am endorsed by the County Commissioners who set our budget because they know I have the best plan to tackle this issue.