(From Press Release) – Yolo County District Attorney candidate Dean Johansson has received the endorsement of Democracy for America, a national progressive Political Action Committee with more than one million members dedicated to “taking on structural racism, income inequality, and money in politics.”
Democracy for America endorsed Dean, a Yolo County Deputy Public Defender, as part of its first ever “Champions for Criminal Justice Reform” slate, which includes reform-minded candidates for sheriff, district attorney, and judge seats across the nation.
Democracy for America Chair Jim Dean points to the importance of local elected officials in combating police brutality, mass incarceration, and racial bias in our justice system:
“Local District Attorneys, Judges, and Sheriffs play a dominant role in what our justice system looks like and how it impacts local communities. Yet, all too often, these candidates don’t get nearly the level of scrutiny and demands for public accountability that a candidate for the U.S. or State House receives when they’re up for election.”
As an example of the systemic problems in our justice system, Jim Dean points to the recent killing of Stephon Clark, a Black man who was shot eight times (six times in the back) by Sacramento police officers who claimed they mistook his cell phone for a firearm.
Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, who has not prosecuted a single law enforcement officer involved in a fatal shooting, accepted $13,000 in campaign contributions from law enforcement associations days after the shooting, leading to community outrage and national scrutiny.
Dean Johansson’s opponent, incumbent Jeff Reisig, has endorsed, and been endorsed by, Schubert. Reisig, who has also received significant campaign contributions from law enforcement associations, has similarly failed to prosecute any police-involved killings, including those of Luis Gutierrez, Ricardo Abrahams, and Michael Barrera.
Dean Johansson released this statement:
“I am proud to have the endorsement of Democracy for America, not only because of what this support means for my campaign, but because this support is an indicator that Americans are increasingly recognizing the critical role District Attorneys play in shaping our justice system. In Yolo County and across the nation, people are sick of the status quo, and I am proud to be part of the movement to create needed reform.”
Mr. Johansson’s candidacy continues a recent national trend where reformer district attorneys are winning seats against hard-line DAs – civil rights attorney Larry Krasner (also endorsed by Democracy for America) won Philadelphia’s DA job last November promising major reforms. Mr. Johansson said he is patterning his campaign after Krasner’s.
Mr. Johansson is a former district attorney in Sacramento and Tulare counties, and has been a public defender in Yolo County (for the past 10 years) and the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office. He was a private practice lawyer for 10 years, focusing on civil rights law. Johansson is a graduate of UC Berkeley and McGeorge School of Law, and an adjunct professor at the UC Davis School of Law.
