Vanguard News Desk Editor
OAKLAND, CA – A public defender here in Alameda County said recently that Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris, whom he worked with when she was a district attorney decades ago, would—compared to GOP hopeful Donald Trump—be much better for the country and accused.
“I ultimately hope that Harris is elected, as the alternative would be far worse for our clients and our country,” said Brendon Woods on Facebook after CNN aired part of an interview filmed with him and Harris. https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/13/politics/video/harris-prosecutor-past-draws-scrutiny-as-she-runs-for-president?cid=ios_app
Woods, who wrote he appreciated “CNN sought out the voice of a Public Defender who practiced in the Bay Area when Harris was the District Attorney, however the final segment did not include several points we covered during the interview…they did not make the final cut (on CNN).”
The PD then noted “when it comes to Kamala Harris ‘prosecuting the case against Trump’ or the glorification of her prosecutorial background, I emphasized the need to shift this narrative. Prosecution is not a solution.
”The rhetoric around prosecution has a very different meaning to millions of Black people in America. Prosecutors have caused irreparable harm, disproportionately incarcerating Black and Brown people and removing them from our communities, undermining true public safety. We can make the case for her candidacy without glorifying prosecution or promoting incarceration.”
Woods added that “while I am critical of her prosecutorial past, the sad reality is that, without it, she would likely not be in the position to run for President. America is still not prepared to elect a Black woman President who has been a teacher, a social worker or—heaven forbid—a public defender,” noting, “America only seems ready to accept a Black woman in that office if she has navigated one of the more white—and male—dominated professions that relies on punishment instead of compassion.”
Woods wrote he had specific ideas in mind in the event of a a Harris presidency.
“My top priority would be addressing the massive funding disparities between public defenders and prosecutors. If she is truly ‘for the people,’ that must include those charged with crimes. In California, prosecutors receive a billion dollars more than public defenders. Nationwide, prosecutors receive twice as much funding as public defenders.
“Properly funded public defender offices can be a part of the solution. I would like to see her strengthen and advance the Ensuring Quality Access to Legal Defense (EQUAL) Act, which she previously introduced.”
The public defender also said “Harris should end the death penalty—starting at the federal level and then providing the necessary incentives for states to do the same. Kamala Harris is personally opposed to the death penalty for all the right reasons. It does not deter crime, it cannot be reversed.
“(F)ar too many people, particularly from Black and Brown communities, have been wrongfully convicted. The racial disparities in its application are staggering. She could push for the creation of a Federal Racial Justice Act to investigate and address racially biased prosecutions and death sentences.”
The attorney, finally, said he would “urge” Harris “to bring an immediate end to the war in Gaza” and “do everything in her power to secure the return of the hostages and end the senseless and barbaric killing of tens of thousands of Palestinians. Over 40,000 civilians have been killed, more have been injured, and countless others have been displaced.”
