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March arrived with a touch of sadness at the Pima County Attorney’s Office as we had to say goodbye (and good dog) to Blake, one of our pioneering courthouse dogs. And while the month held even more sorrow with the passing of U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, it ended on the positive note of welcoming a new Chief Deputy County Attorney to “The People’s Office.”
We’ll begin with the big news that occurred at the end of March – the naming of veteran prosecutor Kimberly Hunley as the new Chief Deputy County Attorney.
Kimberly, who previously served as Chief Deputy at the Santa Cruz County Attorney’s Office, brings an impressive legal resume to her new role that includes serving as Senior Litigation Counsel for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, private practice, and eight years of previous service as a prosecutor at the Pima County Attorney’s Office.
County Attorney Laura Conover says she is confident that putting Hunley in the office’s No. 2 position is a solid move as the office continues to reform criminal justice in Pima County.
“In speaking with Santa Cruz County Attorney George Silva and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, I know we are going to be blessed with a uniquely experienced and talented administrator,” she said. “This is an excellent start to Chapter Two (second term) of ‘The People’s Office.’”
We continue to celebrate the hard-working teams of prosecutors and support staff who hold accountable those who cause harm in our community. This month, we noted multiple convictions with Justice Alerts.
Laura received a special invitation to this year’s conference to speak about knowing your rights, resources for victims, and the journey into her role as Pima County Attorney. It was such a great event and an awesome way to connect with our community. Our Chief of Detectives, Fabian Pacheco, and Community Engagement Coordinator, Maria Arey, were also in attendance.
We could not have been prouder of our partners at 88-CRIME than we were watching the Tucson Police Department recognize the fine work of Program Director Babette McDonald and her team.
The program, which operates under the umbrella of the Pima County Attorney’s Office, received a Community Partnership Award from TPD for their collaboration on creating a podcast focused on solving cold-case homicides.
This is an example of the teamwork that goes into making Pima County safer and healthier for us all.
County Attorney Laura Conover was honored to be part of a panel discussion about public safety issues at the 2025 League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson’s “Eggs and Issues” forum.
As part of a panel that included Anna Harper, Executive Director of Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse, Tucson Police Chief Chad Kasmar and Interim Director of Sister Jose Women’s Shelter, Diana Shelton, Laura discussed PCAO’s role in the alarming volume of domestic violence cases and the need for all law enforcement and service providers to work together to stem that trend.
We joined the community-wide sentiment of gratitude and grief with the passing of U.S. Representative Raúl Grijalva, who lost his battle with lung cancer on March 13 at age 77.
While Raúl made his mark nationally serving in Congress for more than 22 years, Tucson and Pima County knew him first as a community organizer dedicated to improving the lives of those neglected by decision-makers, a role he continued to play over the course of a half-century of public service.
He helped shape the role of public education while serving on the Tucson Unified School District Board before being elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, where he championed both the people of Southern Arizona and the environment where we live.
In Congress, he continued to fight for those who needed a champion, including indigenous people, while fighting to preserve our national environment as Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee.
Some of us who knew and loved Raúl joined his family and “a whole lot” of Grijalvistas at St. Augustin Cathedral in downtown Tucson for a memorial service, and later a celebration of life in South Tucson’s El Casino Ballroom.
Adelante, Mr. Grijalva.
The Pima County Attorney’s Office continued work with Indivisible Tohono, the Southern Arizona task force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Children, in March. Led by April Ignacio, the group held a powerful meeting to begin identifying gaps in services in Pima County that can be filled to address the ongoing crisis on native lands. Here at The People’s Office, we continue to work on identifying enrolled tribal and Nation members who come to us as both victims and defendants, as just one important and challenging step.
Meanwhile, our Victim Services Division is marking its 50th year of providing support to crime victims and witnesses, and is busy preparing for Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, including National Victim Rights Week. (Psst: Watch this space for more on the 50th Anniversary of Victim Services in next month’s Community Newsletter.)
Our Civil Division is helping to troubleshoot the ongoing federal actions regarding funding and directives, with a strong focus on our environmental departments.
While the annual Tucson Festival of Books continues to flex its literary muscles as one of the nation’s biggest and best at drawing star power to the University of Arizona campus, we were puffed with pride when our Chief Civil Deputy, Sam Brown appeared on CSPAN television moderating a discussion about bridging our present political divide.
Authors Jonathan Alter (American Reckoning), Catherine Bracy (World Eaters), and Katherine Stewart (Money, Lies and God) spent an hour discussing the causes of political division and potential solutions.
We’re glad Sam was there to keep the peace. 😊
PCAO had the honor of participating in the annual César Chávez March and Rally on March 22. The event that recognizes the labor rights leader started with a march from Pueblo High School to Rudy Garcia Park, where the celebration continued with music and dance.
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.
Our Civil Division also held a “Spirit Week “ and ended the week with a potluck while Laura chatted with one of our San Miguel interns, Judas, about an upcoming event.
The PCAO Community Newsletter is published and distributed monthly.
Have questions or concerns?
You can email us at info@pcao.pima.gov.
And follow us on social media by clicking on any of the icons below.
March arrived with a touch of sadness at the Pima County Attorney’s Office as we had to say goodbye (and good dog) to Blake, one of our pioneering courthouse dogs. And while the month held even more sorrow with the passing of U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, it ended on the positive note of welcoming a new Chief Deputy County Attorney to “The People’s Office.”
We’ll begin with the big news that occurred at the end of March – the naming of veteran prosecutor Kimberly Hunley as the new Chief Deputy County Attorney.
Kimberly, who previously served as Chief Deputy at the Santa Cruz County Attorney’s Office, brings an impressive legal resume to her new role that includes serving as Senior Litigation Counsel for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, private practice, and eight years of previous service as a prosecutor at the Pima County Attorney’s Office.
County Attorney Laura Conover says she is confident that putting Hunley in the office’s No. 2 position is a solid move as the office continues to reform criminal justice in Pima County.
“In speaking with Santa Cruz County Attorney George Silva and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, I know we are going to be blessed with a uniquely experienced and talented administrator,” she said. “This is an excellent start to Chapter Two (second term) of ‘The People’s Office.’”
We continue to celebrate the hard-working teams of prosecutors and support staff who hold accountable those who cause harm in our community. This month, we noted multiple convictions with Justice Alerts.
Laura received a special invitation to this year’s conference to speak about knowing your rights, resources for victims, and the journey into her role as Pima County Attorney. It was such a great event and an awesome way to connect with our community. Our Chief of Detectives, Fabian Pacheco, and Community Engagement Coordinator, Maria Arey, were also in attendance.
We could not have been prouder of our partners at 88-CRIME than we were watching the Tucson Police Department recognize the fine work of Program Director Babette McDonald and her team.
The program, which operates under the umbrella of the Pima County Attorney’s Office, received a Community Partnership Award from TPD for their collaboration on creating a podcast focused on solving cold-case homicides.
This is an example of the teamwork that goes into making Pima County safer and healthier for us all.
County Attorney Laura Conover was honored to be part of a panel discussion about public safety issues at the 2025 League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson’s “Eggs and Issues” forum.
As part of a panel that included Anna Harper, Executive Director of Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse, Tucson Police Chief Chad Kasmar and Interim Director of Sister Jose Women’s Shelter, Diana Shelton, Laura discussed PCAO’s role in the alarming volume of domestic violence cases and the need for all law enforcement and service providers to work together to stem that trend.
We joined the community-wide sentiment of gratitude and grief with the passing of U.S. Representative Raúl Grijalva, who lost his battle with lung cancer on March 13 at age 77.
While Raúl made his mark nationally serving in Congress for more than 22 years, Tucson and Pima County knew him first as a community organizer dedicated to improving the lives of those neglected by decision-makers, a role he continued to play over the course of a half-century of public service.
He helped shape the role of public education while serving on the Tucson Unified School District Board before being elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, where he championed both the people of Southern Arizona and the environment where we live.
In Congress, he continued to fight for those who needed a champion, including indigenous people, while fighting to preserve our national environment as Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee.
Some of us who knew and loved Raúl joined his family and “a whole lot” of Grijalvistas at St. Augustin Cathedral in downtown Tucson for a memorial service, and later a celebration of life in South Tucson’s El Casino Ballroom.
Adelante, Mr. Grijalva.
The Pima County Attorney’s Office continued work with Indivisible Tohono, the Southern Arizona task force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Children, in March. Led by April Ignacio, the group held a powerful meeting to begin identifying gaps in services in Pima County that can be filled to address the ongoing crisis on native lands. Here at The People’s Office, we continue to work on identifying enrolled tribal and Nation members who come to us as both victims and defendants, as just one important and challenging step.
Meanwhile, our Victim Services Division is marking its 50th year of providing support to crime victims and witnesses, and is busy preparing for Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, including National Victim Rights Week. (Psst: Watch this space for more on the 50th Anniversary of Victim Services in next month’s Community Newsletter.)
Our Civil Division is helping to troubleshoot the ongoing federal actions regarding funding and directives, with a strong focus on our environmental departments.
While the annual Tucson Festival of Books continues to flex its literary muscles as one of the nation’s biggest and best at drawing star power to the University of Arizona campus, we were puffed with pride when our Chief Civil Deputy, Sam Brown appeared on CSPAN television moderating a discussion about bridging our present political divide.
Authors Jonathan Alter (American Reckoning), Catherine Bracy (World Eaters), and Katherine Stewart (Money, Lies and God) spent an hour discussing the causes of political division and potential solutions.
We’re glad Sam was there to keep the peace. 😊
PCAO had the honor of participating in the annual César Chávez March and Rally on March 22. The event that recognizes the labor rights leader started with a march from Pueblo High School to Rudy Garcia Park, where the celebration continued with music and dance.
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.
Our Civil Division also held a “Spirit Week “ and ended the week with a potluck while Laura chatted with one of our San Miguel interns, Judas, about an upcoming event.
The PCAO Community Newsletter is published and distributed monthly.
Have questions or concerns?
You can email us at info@pcao.pima.gov.
And follow us on social media by clicking on any of the icons below.