The District Attorney serves a 4-year term. This role is the county’s chief prosecutor, responsible for prosecuting criminal cases, advising law enforcement, and representing the county in legal matters. The office decides whether to file charges, negotiates plea agreements, and handles civil governmental legal work and government litigation, working to enforce state and local laws while ensuring due process..
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Behavioral health (mental illness and addiction) is the defining crisis driving people through our justice system. Most people cycling through jails aren't hardened criminals; they're people failed by a system that never addressed root causes. As DA, I built Utah's first Veterans Court, first Mental Health Court, Pre-Filing Diversion Program, and Camp Hope, a program for children who have experienced severe trauma. Upon re-election, I’ll continue to expand diversion capacity, strengthen treatment pipelines, push for more co-responder models with law enforcement, and advocate for the sustained county investment needed to make these interventions available to more people before incarceration becomes the default response.
General criteria for program viability includes determining the nature of the offense, the role behavioral health issues played in the conduct, any prior criminal history, amenability to treatment, and any possible public safety impact. Low-level, non-violent offenses where mental illness, addiction, or trauma is a contributing factor are the most eligible candidates for these programs. My Pre-Filing Diversion Program applies this framework, intervening before charges are filed when appropriate, with an astounding 92%+ success rate. Victims' needs and community safety must also inform every decision. The goal is to match people to the intervention most likely to break their cycle of offense.
Collaboration is key to all of our multiple programs. Our Pre-Filing Diversion Program will be expanded to the severely mentally ill and our homeless population. Veterans Court brought prosecutors, defense counsel, treatment providers, and courts into a structured, accountable model with shared goals. My approach has always been systems-based: public safety isn't achieved by any single agency acting alone, but by law enforcement, courts, treatment providers, and community organizations working toward the same outcome. I'll continue building and deepening those partnerships because that's what the evidence shows actually reduces recidivism.
Public data belongs to the public. That's why my office launched a public screening dashboard showing every case filed or declined over the past two years, one of the first initiatives of its kind in Utah. This is the first phase of a broader effort to make prosecution data accessible. I've worked to communicate our standards and remain committed to continually improving our operations so that SLCo residents can see how prosecutorial discretion is exercised. We take a collaborative, systems-based approach, working directly with law enforcement, treatment providers, and community organizations, so accountability is built into how we operate. I’ve also alternated every Friday, hosting community hours, increasing access to the DA’s office.
They are not in competition. My record demonstrates that. We can reform the criminal justice system without compromising public safety. Addressing root causes and holding people accountable are both essential to safer communities. Serious and violent offenders warrant serious accountability. But applying that same response to everyone regardless of circumstance is wasteful and unnecessary. Public safety is the goal. Evidence-based, proportionate prosecution is how we get there. I've spent nearly two decades proving that therapeutic justice and public safety go hand in hand, and I’m prepared to keep that record going strong.
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