The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writer.
In 2020, for the first time since 1996, voters in Pima County will pick a new county attorney after Barbara LaWall announced that she will not run for re-election.
The county attorney — also called a district attorney in some states — has immense power. As soon as police refer a case to the County Attorney’s Office, a prosecutor can decide what charges a suspect can face, whether or not to bring those charges, and whether or not to offer pleas to help people avoid Arizona’s harsh mandatory minimum laws.
Despite that power, prosecutorial elections around the country are routinely ignored, with many voters simply voting for the incumbent. In fact, many of those incumbents run unopposed — leaving voters without an option for change even if they wanted it. However, there are signs of change.
Progressive prosecutors, those prosecutors committed to reforming the system from their positions of power, have begun to win elections. Larry Krasner in Philadelphia and Wesley Bell in St. Louis are two notable examples that show not only an appetite for change, but also how quickly change can happen once a progressive prosecutor takes office. Wesley Bell reduced the jail population in St. Louis County by 12% in his first 100 days in office. Larry Krasner immediately fired prosecutors that weren’t on board with reform and ordered his office to justify, on the record, the monetary cost of whatever term of incarceration they recommend at sentencing.
LaWall’s resignation creates an opportunity for change in Pima County. The election of a progressive prosecutor will allow for a new voice at the table that will contrast with Arizona’s other county attorneys and provide a model for future county attorney candidates in Arizona.
It’s likely that this will be one of the more hotly contested races in Arizona next year. Regardless of who runs, for the sake of both our county and our state, don’t ignore this race.
