Pima County Attorney Laura Conover was elected four years ago on a promise to reform the department's approach to criminal justice.
At his re-election announcement in October at the Hotel Congress' Century Room, Conover said he was on track to make good on that promise.
“We have set a pretty ambitious and aggressive timeline because of what we think is necessary to modernize our offices and modernize our justice system here in Pima County,” she said. In the middle of a pandemic. ”
Mike Jett, a former prosecutor in the Arizona Attorney General's Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office, wants to challenge Conover in the July 30 Democratic primary, accusing him of not being tough enough on crime. There is.
Conover's staff, which not only prosecutes crimes but also serves on civil legal teams for the Board of Supervisors and county departments, said her new judicial approach is starting to bear fruit. He noted that after spiking during the pandemic, homicides in Pima County fell from 102 in 2021 to 65 in the first 11 months of 2023.
“We are making incredible progress,” she said. “It's very gratifying to see homicides and violent crime go down. There's a lot of work we want to do when it comes to gun crime and neighborhood issues. And while we're finally starting to aggressively tackle the programs we've wanted to do, , we're also starting to actively work on the programs that we've set up.” “We're working on what needs to be done, rather than responding to every crisis one after the other. You know, we're really starting to It’s going really well.”
Conover said modernization efforts include moving from paper files to electronic case management and launching a “restorative justice” initiative that connects offenders and crime victims to help victims recover from their offenses. He said he would support the The program, which also aims to deter criminals from future criminal activity, is finally being launched after more than a year of planning and training for promoters.
“I think this will help victims in a quicker, more comprehensive way than ever before, so we're really going to focus on that,” Conover said.
She also started a fraud unit in the county attorney's office and led the case that led to an injunction blocking enforcement of Arizona's state-era abortion ban following the U.S. Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade. He said he was proud to have contributed.
Jett, who resigned from the U.S. attorney's office in early 2024 after returning from a stint in Pakistan, claims that Conover's management led to mass turnover and the loss of experienced prosecutors.
“We have lost so many talented people that our office is in crisis,” Jett said. “There are young people who are way above the norm when it comes to cases. So there's a problem with the stability of the office.”
Conover said he didn't try to do a deep clean when he took office in 2021, replacing Democrat Barbara LaWall, who had served as president since 1996.
“I'm not the type of manager who burns it down and rebuilds,” Conover said. “But that being said, a number of attorneys who had deep ties to the previous administration over the decades have understandably moved on. I urge Pima County to move forward in a completely different way. I made a promise. And I'm making good on that promise. So of course the old guard moved on.”
But, she said, “we were able to hire nine experienced prosecutors who left for good reason and came back for good reason.” And they brought 117 years of felony trial experience to the table. ”
Mr. Jett criticized Mr. Conover for not pursuing enough criminal cases, particularly regarding drug possession and retail theft. He said he has spoken to small business owners who are “very angry.”
“Insurance premiums, inventory losses, putting in new security, fencing, cameras, guards, the whole nine yards, these are very thin margins and you have to deal with intruders and criminal damage and theft.” said Jett.
Ms Conover said she would “focus” on addressing property crime as murders and violent crimes are on the decline.
“The idea of a healthy criminal justice system is to maintain mobility,” Conover said. “And you take the results, you acknowledge them, but then you move quickly and change your priorities and move your time and assets to real estate and drugs and the problems facing small businesses and neighborhoods.” Become.”
No Republican or independent candidates have filed statements of interest in holding the Nov. 5 general election. The deadline for nomination petitions is April 1st.