The Porter County Prosecuting Attorney is the county’s chief law enforcement officer and represents the State of Indiana in criminal cases. The Prosecutor reviews investigations, files charges, and prosecutes felony, misdemeanor, and infraction cases. The Prosecutor’s duties are to work with law enforcement, support victims and witnesses, and ensure cases are handled fairly, ethically, and according to the U.S. and Indiana Constitutions and state law.
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First and Last Name
Harry Peterson
Campaign Email
electharrypeterson@gmail.com
Campaign Phone
219-508-8558
Social Media and Website Links
https://www.harrypetersonforportercountyprosecutor.com/
Candidate Bio Information
Harry Peterson is a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney who has handled the highest level of criminal offenses, including Murder, Rape, and Child Molesting. He grew up in Valparaiso, and is married and raising his 1 year old daughter in Porter County. Harry believes Porter County needs to re-commit itself to Law and Order, and that is done through tough but fair resolutions that put Victims and the People of Porter County first.
1) Re-commitment to Law and Order - some of the highest level of criminal offenses result in plea deals where the defendants serve 5 or 10 years in prison, when they were facing 40, 60, or 100 years originally. We need to be Tough but Fair in our resolutions of these cases against the dangerous offenders in our community.
2) Active Leadership - the elected prosecutor should be handling some of the trials against dangerous offenders, and personally prosecuting the highest level of criminal offenses.
3) Community Engagement - the People of Porter County should know who their prosecutor is and what a prosecutor does. There are many ways to inform the public about what the Prosecutor's office does, and that is currently are not being done.
I am the only candidate for prosecutor who is actively prosecuting high level felonies. I am the only candidate for prosecutor who has prosecuted a murder, rape, and child molesting case at jury trial either ever, or in this decade. Relevant and recent experience is important, because evidence has advanced in many ways over the last 10-30 years, including the use of DNA evidence, phone and app data evidence, and many other areas.
One reality is that departments may have cuts, so employees may have to do more than they are accustomed to. That is when a focus on efficiency comes into play, and understanding how to best streamline the tasks we have to do is important. I worked nearly every position in the Prosecutor's office, and worked closely with support staff in each role. I believe I have a very good understanding of the day to day operations of the Prosecutor's office and what could be done more efficiently.
If elected, I believe press releases on the resolutions of big cases helps communicate with constituents. I believe social media can help communicate with constituents. Lastly, I believe there are a number of programs that could be started to invite the public to know more about what the Prosecutor's office does.
I believe my extensive experience as a prosecuting attorney, and my experience outside of work make me the best candidate to lead the Porter County Prosecutor's Office. I have served as a Valparaiso City Councilman, Vice President of the Indiana Dunes Tourism Board, Member of the Porter County Park Board and Valparaiso Plan Commission, President of the Porter County Bar Association and American Inns of Court - Porter County, and as Financial Secretary to Knights of Columbus Council 738. All of those experiences required in-depth organization, approving budgets of millions of dollars, and overseeing departments and employees. I want to help people and solve problems, and that is why I want to be your next Porter County Prosecutor.
