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Here's a close look at the three Dem candidates running for Maricopa County Attorney. Gunnigle, Knight, & McWhirter say they want to break from the office's punitive legacy & reduce the prison population, but their plans for achieving that differ greatly https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/maricopa-county-attorney-democratic-primary-candidates/
All three candidates say they would:
- decline to prosecution marijuana possession cases
- use the position to lobby for criminal justice reform measures at the legislature, including ending mandatory minimums
- limit the use of money bail
- decline to prosecution marijuana possession cases
- use the position to lobby for criminal justice reform measures at the legislature, including ending mandatory minimums
- limit the use of money bail
Both Gunnigle & Knight said they will:
- decriminalize sex work & crimes of poverty
- end the "plead to the lead" policy, which requires people to plead guilty to the most severe charges against them in order to accept a plea deal
- end the use of Hannah priors, which allow...
- decriminalize sex work & crimes of poverty
- end the "plead to the lead" policy, which requires people to plead guilty to the most severe charges against them in order to accept a plea deal
- end the use of Hannah priors, which allow...
...people to be charged as repeat offenders based on multiple charges stemming from the same incident.
Will Knight, a former Maricopa County public defender, wants to:
- reduce the county's contribution the state prison pop by 50%
- decline to prosecute *all* personal drug possession cases
- not bring up all prior convictions when prosecuting cases as it leads to lengthy sentences
- reduce the county's contribution the state prison pop by 50%
- decline to prosecute *all* personal drug possession cases
- not bring up all prior convictions when prosecuting cases as it leads to lengthy sentences
Knight is the only candidate who has promised not to seek the death penalty if elected.
He is also the only candidate who wants to shrink the prosecutor’s office, reduce its budget, & direct some of its duties outside the criminal legal system.
He is also the only candidate who wants to shrink the prosecutor’s office, reduce its budget, & direct some of its duties outside the criminal legal system.
Julie Gunnigle, a former assistant state attorney in Cook County, Illinois, wants to:
- reduce county's contribution the state prison pop by ~25%
- expand diversion programs & veteran’s courts
- shift the focus of the office to enacting reforms to end mass incarceration
- reduce county's contribution the state prison pop by ~25%
- expand diversion programs & veteran’s courts
- shift the focus of the office to enacting reforms to end mass incarceration
Bob McWhirter, a former Maricopa County and federal public defender, didn't specify a number to cut the prison pop by or respond to our questions (he also dropped out of our forum at the last minute), but said he would end the "misuse" of Hannah priors.
McWhirter also said he would seek additional funding for the office, and during a town hall in early May he cautioned against pushing decarceral goals too far. “Let’s not forget what the job [of the county attorney] is,” he said. https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/maricopa-county-attorney-democratic-primary-candidates/
