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June was a month filled with stories of protecting federal funding, attorney recognition, teen education, and major court moves. We also welcomed a new four-legged friend. Your June 2025 Community Newsletter has arrived.
The Pima County Attorney’s Office joined a host of other plaintiffs in a lawsuit intended to prevent the federal government from reclaiming previously allocated funds to support transportation and housing projects.
This is the second suit PCAO has joined in response to efforts by the Trump administration to prevent the use of federal funds for projects that are critical for Pima County residents. A federal judge in the State of Washington has granted a preliminary injunction against the administration’s effort to reclaim the fund, which includes approximately $80 million already allocated to Pima County.
The Pima County Attorney’s Office is thrilled to introduce our newest wet-nosed employee – a two-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever named Jacob. Jacob will join our Courthouse Dog team, thus completing the trio of Labrador colors: chocolate, black, and yellow.
Jacob recently arrived at “The People’s Office” after having completed training with the talented professionals at Dogs for Better Lives in Oregon. Jacob’s education began with puppy raisers from Guide Dogs for the Blind in Texas, and it was there that trainers recognized his true talents, said his PCAO handler, Kristin Carter.
Civil Division Deputy County Attorneys Cindy Nguyen and Bobby Yu, along with PCAO’s Victim Services Division, worked hard to get all of the paperwork across the finish line to complete the process of bringing Jacob into the office.
“He began training to be a guide dog, but it would later be discovered that his personality and character were much better suited for work as a Courthouse Facility Dog,” Carter said. “And, boy, were they right!”
Jacob, who was born Jan. 28, 2023, began intensive task-specific training for six months at the Dogs for Better Lives campus before coming to PCAO.
“Jacob is a super-friendly, laid-back guy who is eager to get to work spreading comfort and joy to those he comes into contact with,” Carter said of her new best friend.
The big, beautiful lab will spend some time getting familiar with his new workplace and continue working with his handler as he gradually begins the critically important work of directly supporting crime victims and witnesses.
Jacob joins veteran Courthouse Facility Dogs, Arrow and Baja, who provide comfort to children and adults who are in the difficult process of navigating the criminal justice system, including victim meetings, court hearings, and trials.
Courthouse Facility Dogs have been an integral part of PCAO’s pioneering Victim Services Division since 2012. Jacob joins the team while PCAO is celebrating 50 years of providing victim advocacy as the first such program in the nation. The team will carry on the work and legacy of our beloved Blake, who passed away earlier this year.
Rachel Stiles and Peter Raptis sat down for an interview with Kenny Darr from KGUN 9 on the Jana Giron texting case. Rachel talked about the importance of not driving and texting and the unique challenges in the case. She also shared a lot of educational information about the impact that distracted driving can have on the road. We should see that story in the coming days.
In late June, our Criminal Division spent some time in Chandler to enhance their skills at the 2025 Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council (APAAC) conference. They had breakout sessions focusing on victim advocacy, trial skills, ethics, trafficking, and other important educational elements of the important work that they do every day.
There was a total of 6 award nominees from our office this year, including Peter Goodman, Lacee Collins, Mark Hotchkiss, Hayley Weigold, Ryan Klee, and Robin Schwartz.
Robin was honored with the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her nearly 20 years of dedicated service as a prosecutor at PCAO, as well as her outstanding contributions as a skilled attorney and a valued mentor to her colleagues.
Lacee Collins received her second David R. White Excellence in Victim Advocacy Award in recognition of her relentless pursuit of justice for both child and adult victims of crime, including her prosecution of 15 serious felony jury trials in 2024.
Both County Attorney Conover and our new Chief Deputy County Attorney, Kim Hunley, were in attendance to support our teams.
The awards kept coming, our very own Assistant Chief Civil Deputy Dan Jurkowitz won the Outstanding In-House Counsel of the Year Award from the Arizona State Bar Convention in Chandler. The award recognizes the attributes of being a respected and innovative leader who has excellent business acumen, leadership, and integrity.
(Pictured: Dan Jurkowitz and Chief Civil Deputy Sam Brown)
The 2025 High School Enrichment Academy was in full swing at PCAO. The program gives high school students a unique opportunity to learn about the criminal justice system from the inside. Nineteen students from all over Pima County came together to learn about all aspects of criminal law.
The students participated in a series of lectures on topics ranging from criminal procedures, DNA testing, prosecuting homicides, the perspective of defense attorneys and judges, and more. They are also encouraged to observe matters in the Superior Court. Each student was assigned an attorney mentor to get real-world examples of what they learn about. Discussions were led by Supervising Attorney Kendrick Wilson and Prosecutor Laura McGinley.
The next day, our outreach team was out again with Deputy County Attorney Dale Cardy, supervising attorney for our Juvenile Unit, giving incoming freshman at Sunnyside High School information about challenges of high school.
The Teen Maze provides incoming students with in-person insights into the consequences of making poor decisions, introducing them to law enforcement, the courts, probation officers and others responsible for holding people accountable.
We were pleased to be part of the discussion aimed at arming these new highschoolers with the information they need to make good decisions when classes start up again.
County Attorney Laura Conover joined former Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva and others in celebrating the 30th anniversary of Pima County’s Teen Court program. The Teen Court is a diversion program for minors who have been arrested and taken responsibility for their offense, agreeing to be sentenced by a jury of their teen peers. Three decades of the program have shown the approach works, with 93 percent of parents and 90 percent of teens believing the experience will help them to avoid further legal trouble.
The Pima County Attorney’s Office community outreach team joined a host of other agencies and organizations for the June 4th Pima County Youth One Stop Open House and Resource Fair hosted by Community Workforce Development.
The open-air event drew a large crowd seeking work opportunities and support in a wide variety of ways, including information about the many ways “The People’s Office” serves the community and providing free swag such as gun locks, handheld fans, and Narcan.
Laura was also among those addressing the most recent graduating class of the Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison (DTAP) program that gives adult offenders an opportunity to be held accountable without spending time behind bars.
This group of graduates, supported by their families and friends, has found sobriety and a new direction through the PCAO diversion program, giving them a fresh start at living healthier and more productive lives.
The 55th local celebration of Juneteenth was held June 14 at Kino Sports Complex, and the Pima County Attorney’s Office was on hand to mark the occasion. County Attorney Laura Conover was among the keynote speakers at the annual community event, and our outreach team was there to meet attendees and provide information and free stuff. It was a warm celebration in more ways than one!
PCAO’s Chief of Detectives Fabian Pacheco represented “The People’s Office” at the annual Policia Internacional Sonora Arizona (PISA) Conference at Casino del Sol. The conference furthers the collaborative work of law enforcement on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, and we were well represented with Fabian making a presentation before some 300 partners from both countries. Our 88-Crime Director, Babbette McDonald, was also on site to educate the public.
PCAO was on hand for the latest meeting of The Metro Group, a multi-jurisdictional effort to address homelessness and the fentanyl overdose crisis. While the discussions are not easy, we are fortunate to have this promising collaboration between Pima County and our partners in the City of Tucson.
We recruit legal researchers, litigators, and professional staff who use their unique talents to move our Office forward. You’re invited to apply to work for a progressive prosecuting agency that values accountability, public service, and outcome-driven thinking.
We offer excellent work-life balance, great incentives, and a generous benefits package, including:
All open PCAO positions APPLY HERE
There are a variety of positions to apply for at PCAO
Here’s a look at some of the links to social media and podcast messages we’ve shared throughout the year.
All Podcast episodes are available here:
https://thepeoplesofficepodcast.podbean.com/
Social Media Posts:
Government Impersonation Scams
End of Watch Officer Gabriel Facio
We are relaunching our water safety campaign in collaboration with the Tucson Fire Department. Be sure to check out all 3 parts on our Youtube channel
The PCAO Community Newsletter is published and distributed monthly.
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