Dear Members of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors,
I am writing to respectfully urge the Board to appoint Cynthia Rodriguez as the next Yolo County District Attorney to complete the remaining unexpired term. As our county navigates this important leadership transition, we need a District Attorney who possesses an unwavering command of the law, deep trial experience, and a profound commitment to fairness and victims’ rights. Cynthia Rodriguez is uniquely qualified to deliver on all fronts.
With years of diverse experience within the criminal justice and state and county systems, Ms. Rodriguez brings unparalleled knowledge to the table. Her distinguished career spans critical roles as a public defender, adjunct law professor at UC Davis, and an advisor and Counsel for major state agencies, including over 10 years at CalPERS, the California Department of Corrections, and General Counsel for the Department of Mental Health and State Hospitals, where she served as an appointment by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. She has experience working with and under executives on both sides of the aisle. She also handled employee discipline cases at the prisons. She has experience working directly with wardens and other safety staff at almost all state prison sites. This immense breadth of experience gives her a 360-degree understanding of public safety, fiscal management, and the root causes of crime—such as mental health and housing insecurity.
Ms. Rodriguez is a champion for equal justice who will lead the District Attorney’s office with absolute transparency and integrity. Her approach to law enforcement balances a steadfast commitment to public safety with a strong sense of fairness. She understands that a modern, effective prosecutor must hold individuals accountable for criminal acts while simultaneously utilizing robust, evidence-based programs to reduce recidivism and increase community safety.
Crucially, Ms. Rodriguez will serve the victims of crime in Yolo County with the highest standard of care. She is dedicated to ensuring that the legal system uplifts victims, prioritizes their safety, and treats them with the compassion and dignity they deserve. Furthermore, having already secured over 40% of the county’s vote in a prior election cycle, she holds a proven mandate and deep trust among local residents. She has already reached out to the community to understand their goals and interests.
Yolo County has a rare opportunity to move beyond “business as usual” and establish a District Attorney’s office that truly protects and reflects everyone in our community. I strongly urge you to vote in favor of appointing Cynthia Rodriguez.
Thank you for your leadership and your time.
Sincerely,
Cecilia Escamilla-Greenwald
DJUSD School Board Trustee, Area 5, Davis, CA
Since Reisig handily won the last election his successor should be someone from his staff with close to the same values as him.
In my opinion to insert someone with opposite views would be a disservice to the County. The County almost entirely voted for Reisig, the only outlier being Davis. This appointment is for a County DA, not a City of Davis DA.
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/1ddac1ef3410474e91b25ff400376ca6/page/District-Attorney
Hopefully the County Supervisors think about the whole county and not just the people in the Republic of Davis.
Do the right thing and install Reisig’s successor, DA Melinda Aiello.
Mrs. Greenwald should be questioning what those associated with DJUSD attempted to do, in regard to the recent Measure V election.
Naked self-interest. I hope the voters of Davis don’t forget this.
One of the most important factors for me in choosing the new district attorney is that the actions against Ajay Dev be brought to an end. The Vanguard has done a great job documenting his innocence, and it’s absurd that the DA’s office has continued to beat this dead horse when prosecuting him goes against the will of the public and common sense.
I hope the board of supervisors makes this an important consideration in their decision. Ajay spent 16 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. This is a stain on Yolo County justice that we should not make worse by selecting a candidate who will not listen to the public now and do the right thing.
Don’t know much about that case, or what the current DA did (or didn’t do) before and/or after conviction.
Also, frankly don’t know if he’s innocent.
But sure – that’s the type of thing that the Vanguard probably SHOULD focus on.
Unless the current DA actively fought evidence of innocence (which I believe would actually be illegal), I’m not sure how it’s “his fault”.
Regardless, wrongful convictions will always occasionally occur, due to “beyond a reasonable doubt”. And that’s true regardless of who the DA is, assuming that a defense attorney isn’t appointed as a DA. (Someone who isn’t even willing to prosecute crimes at all. Yes, that’s an exaggeration.)
But I think we’ve all had enough of the former DAs in places like San Francisco and Alameda county.
I don’t know her position on this case, or if she had any role in it at all. And I agree that the SF and Alameda county district attorneys were a disaster.
We don’t want leftist progressive DA’s like Boudin and Letitia James. We want DA’s who make criminals pay for their crimes.