by Jean Jackman
Are you watching what our current District Attorney (DA) is doing?
He is our most powerful elected official. He can decide who gets criminal charges filed against them, the severity of those charges and if charges get filed at all. He can prioritize how laws are enforced and who they will be enforced against.
The current DA doesn’t share the values of the majority of Yolo citizens. We have voted for five progressive propositions in dealing with justice and he opposed four and is neutral on only the three strikes law. Dean Johansson, a public defender running for DA, approves all five propositions along with the citizen majority.
We deserve a better return on our investments in justice than what we get with the current DA.
We spend huge amounts on mass incarcerations due to over-prosecuting and an unfair cash bail system. Our tax monies are used to staff a large DA office and to keep people in jail rather than putting non-violent offenders into programs where they can learn a skill and go through rehabilitation or get mental health treatment. Our monies pay for lengthy trials. The public defenders have such huge case loads that they cannot provide equal justice.
Yolo has an above average number of youths in the criminal justice system despite the below average rate of violent crime. We jail people who can’t afford bail, making it a crime to be poor. Imagine what that does to a poor family. We have the highest rate of jury trials per capita in California. Trials are expensive. We need a DA who will negotiate pre-trial agreements—who will incarcerate only those who pose a danger to public safety.
Dean Johansson is a public defender with 20 years as a civil rights attorney, prosecutor and public defender. He will implement policies that will make our communities safer, healthier and ensure justice for all. He is running because he sees the current District Attorney’s approach is out-dated and ineffective.
Please vote Dean Johansson for District Attorney.
