Issues

 

Decrease racial disparities in our jail population

  • Both the data and lived experiences of people of color show that decisions to prosecute low-level drug possessions or quality of life offenses are often unevenly applied to black and brown people. As County Attorney, I will not prosecute low-level drug possession or quality of life offenses. 

  • Restore community trust in police. As County Attorney, I will not rely on or call officers with a history of misconduct for any case.

  • As a council member I was a co-sponsor on a resolution that passed that called for a comprehensive investigation of racism and bias in our police department’s policies and procedures. I will continue to agitate for similar scrutiny and oversight as County Attorney.

 

end cash bail

  • Wealth should play no part in whether someone remains in jail. We will ask that people who pose a risk to public safety remain in jail, but that all those who do not be released. Given that this office does not handle felonies, most people should go home on personal recognizance.

 

Fight the criminalization of poverty in all its forms

Decriminalize Poverty

As County attorney, I will refuse to permit “ability to pay” to play a role in determining eligibility for bail, a plea agreement, the appropriate sentence, or entrance into a diversionary program.

As a City Councilmember, I was a co-sponsor on the work our city council did to decriminalize homelessness by repealing sit and lie ordinances that prevented people from simply sleeping in public just because they had nowhere else to go. A lack of affordable housing is not magically fixed when you inflict pain on the destitute, and I will continue to combat efforts to criminalize homelessness as County Attorney. 

I will decline to prosecute quality of life offenses here. These lead to over-criminalization of poor and largely Black and Brown communities, and there is no public safety benefit.

 

Lower prosecution of misdemeanor marijuana possession even after testing equipment becomes available

  • Low-level marijuana possession is harmless and communities of color are often more heavily policed for such offenses than white communities. Marijuana possession and low-level distribution is not something our law enforcement officials should focus our public resources on.

 

Decline prosecution of low-level theft, especially cases like theft of food

Don’t Punish the Poor

Wasting time and resources of our prosecutors on petty, low-level theft only serves to overcrowd our jails and hurt the poor and desperate.

As the Mayor Pro Tem, I was one of the co-sponsors of Austin City Council’s Freedom Cities initiative which requires officers to defer to a policy of cite and release and if they choose to arrest instead, they are required to provide specific data on the arrest choice. Avoiding mucking up our criminal justice system with trivial crimes has long been a priority of mine.

 

Begin a policy of weapon forfeiture in domestic violence cases

  • When we continue to allow documented abusers to have access to firearms, we send a message that our society does not care about protecting survivors. 

 

Work with judges and ramp up resources to eliminate the backlog of domestic violence cases in County court 4

  • Every day, prosecutorial discretion is used to decide what cases are considered priorities and what cases are not. Victims are having to wait too long to have their cases resolved. As County Attorney, I will work with judges and put appropriate resources into lessening this backlog.

 

Empower our county elected officials to push back against state overreach

  • As a progressive county in a red state, the policies we enact are frequently tampered with and blocked by the overreach of state officials. As County Attorney, I will be prepared to direct my office to push back with all legal means we have against state overreach.

 

Abandon the one-dimensional “tough on crime” policy consensus and address the root of our mental health, public health, and poverty crises by collaborating with social services

Get to the Roots

I will work with social service organizations to make sure we are collaborating in the best way possible. I understand the intersection of poverty and housing and the access to healthcare and I want to do all that I can to create a support system for those we are diverting out of the criminal justice system.

  • I will review all existing policies and create any necessary changes such as including policies that are sensitive to those in our marginalized communities, requiring taking immigration status into account when a victim or defendant is undocumented, and requiring prosecutors are using proper pronouns for those in our LGBTIA community. Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect and deserves to have their case assessed in a way that takes into account the circumstances that could be created when they are in the criminal justice system. 

  • I will enforce environmental regulations to ensure we are protecting our natural resources and fighting polluters.