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In October, The People’s Office participated in the 2024 Domestic Violence Warrant Sweep, made connections throughout the community, and had an award-winning season. Your October 2024 Community Newsletter has arrived.
The Pima County Attorney’s Office Detectives Division partnered with other law enforcement agencies in Southern Arizona to perform the yearly domestic violence warrant sweep. Detectives served nearly 70 warrants and talked to victims to hold people accountable for their actions. A special thank you to all detectives for your efforts and work.
In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Day, and Wear Purple Day, PCAO staff wore purple in solidarity to raise awareness about the issue of domestic violence, advocacy to end abuse, and the support of survivors. #domesticviolenceawareness
For the third time this year, our prosecutor Lacee Collins has re-tried a case that was originally prosecuted by former Pima County Attorneys, carrying the torch forward and obtaining a guilty verdict in a case that’s been on the books since 2017.
Earlier this month, Lacee started the retrial of State v. Thorne Harnage. This case had been all over the court system, with repeated Motions to Remand and a special action. The victim and now survivor were abused by her uncle when she was 7 and 8 years old. She disclosed the abuse when she was 9 leading to a case that would haunt the family for years. After more than 7 years of fighting to get a conviction, the family was understandably emotional, drained, and at times wondered if they would ever get justice in the case.
Lacee worked to convince the family that she had a plan that would succeed. Lacee, who is known as a dedicated prosecutor, stayed on the case and kept pressing forward to get the family the result they so desperately wanted. She was assisted by PCAO victim advocate and superhero Ileana Ortega, who was there every step of the way to help the family navigate the process. Thank you to both Lacee and Ileana for your hard work on this case.
This is one example of the extraordinary efforts and commitment that we strive for every day at The People’s Office.
Laura joined a panel at Catalina High School to take a fresh look at the school-to-prison pipeline, she viewed a new short documentary titled, “The Forgotten Prisoner”, which shows the struggle of children left behind when Mom or Dad, or both, are incarcerated, and the incredible caregivers who step up to save a life.
It was a difficult topic and intense space, but there was also a lot of important and meaningful discussion at the event. The documentary will be seen at other locations across the country. Be on the lookout for this extraordinary work in the days to come.
Saturday, Oct. 19 was a big day for helping the community.
The main event was the 2024 Fresh Start Expo at the Tucson Convention Center. The annual event, which we consider the biggest public safety event of the year, drew hundreds of people who were able to get help putting prior convictions behind them, restoring their rights, and giving them a new hand up on a productive life.
Laura and Fresh Start founder Dr. Da’Mond T. Holt were joined by the full spectrum of legal service providers, from prosecutors and defense attorneys to magistrates and judges to support this one-stop event.
While waiting for legal services, attendees also had the opportunity to pick up new clothing, get a haircut, and other basic services to help them get their fresh starts.
Because of the immense value the Fresh Start Expo holds for so many, it was the focus of the most recent episode of People’s Office Podcast, with Laura and Dr. Holt holding an in-depth discussion of the annual event. The two also held a press conference to promote the expo in the days before the event.
At the same time, PCAO participated in a family health resource fair at Child and Family Services, where about 75 people came to get information and a variety of items designed to make their homes and their lives healthier and safer.
The PCAO table gave out over 30 free gun locks, and a dozen boxes of Narcan along with trinkets like pencils, stickers, candy, and more.
For the second straight year, the Pima County Attorney’s Office was thrilled to be recognized for our public information campaign “Make the Call,” which promotes the life-saving value of calling 911 and having Narcan readily available to save the lives of people experiencing opioid overdose.
The campaign, launched in 2022, featured two new public service announcements in 2023, both of which were selected for a Certificate of Excellence from the Public Relations Society of America’s Southern Arizona Chapter.
Members of our communications team were pleased to be joined by Bryan Hamilton, who courageously shared his personal story about how Narcan and swift medical response have given him more than a second chance at life – and how he has saved the lives of others.
The other PSA receiving recognition features body-worn camera footage of TPD officers reviving a man experiencing an overdose by administering Narcan, the nasal spray version of naloxone.
The People’s Office is proud to continue doing our part to bring a significant reduction in the number of overdose deaths in Pima County in 2024 through this public information campaign and through our partnership with the Pima County Health Department that provides free Narcan in locations and at events throughout the county.
Narcan PSA #2
Narcan PSA #3
PCAO’s Victim Services Division graduated 36 new crisis and court volunteers from its 7-week training program. It was such a pleasure to meet all of them and THANK them for their incredible contributions to our community!
Our office shined a spotlight on Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 through October 15) by sharing the personal stories of four PCAO employees who were shaped by their families and communities and continue giving to the residents of Pima County through their own public service.
Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 through October 15, began in 1968 as a dedicated week to acknowledge and celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
Instituted by President Lyndon Johnson, Hispanic Heritage Month was expanded to a full month by President Ronald Reagan and enacted into law in 1988.
September 15 is a significant day because it is the anniversary of independence for the Latin American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile mark their independence days on September 16 and September 18 respectively.
The Pima County Attorney’s Office celebrates the history and culture that has shaped our Southern Arizona home since before it was part of the United States. We are grateful for the many contributions to our community and to The People’s Office made by people of Hispanic heritage.
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El Mes de la Herencia Hispana, que se celebra del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre, comenzó en 1968 como una semana dedicada a reconocer y celebrar las historias, culturas y contribuciones de los ciudadanos estadounidenses cuyos antepasados vinieron de España, México, el Caribe y América Central y del Sur.
El Mes de la Herencia Hispana, instituido por el presidente Lyndon Johnson, fue ampliado a un mes completo por el presidente Ronald Reagan y promulgado como ley en 1988.
El 15 de septiembre es un día importante porque es el aniversario de la independencia de los países latinoamericanos de Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras y Nicaragua. México y Chile celebran sus días de independencia el 16 y el 18 de septiembre respectivamente.
Además, el Día de Colón (ahora Día de los Pueblos Indígenas en Arizona) se celebra el 12 de octubre.
La Oficina del Fiscal del Condado de Pima celebra la historia y la cultura que han dado forma a nuestro hogar en el sur de Arizona desde antes de que fuera parte de los Estados Unidos. Estamos agradecidos por las numerosas contribuciones que las personas de ascendencia hispana han hecho a nuestra comunidad y a la Oficina del Pueblo del Condado de Pima.
We thank Martin Escobar, Krystal De La Ossa, Pete Gonzales, and Angelica Garcia for helping us celebrate the many ways that the Hispanic community has shaped and improved Pima County
We partnered with @88_crime at this year’s @tucsonmeetyourself!
Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth to learn more about The People’s Office.
Thank you to Cyclocvia Tucson for having us and thank you to everyone who stopped by our tent! We were so happy to see our community enjoying our beautiful city and a car-free day.
Our communications team also set up shop at the Pima County Sheriff’s 2024 Trunk-or-Treat event. We saw a lot of awesome costumes and met some even more awesome people!
We also made a special stop at The University of Arizona and joined forces with the University of Arizona Police & Office of Public Safety Our team participated in this year’s Wildcat Take Care Safety Fair. We were able to pass out information about The People’s Office and meet some students who could one day be future attorneys at our office. Bear Down!!
We had an awesome time making our community a more beautiful place to live with Tucson Clean and Beautiful. Our team of volunteers helped to preserve and improve the environment by planting trees in our community. Thank you, TCB!
At PCAO we recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day. We have a land acknowledgment on the front page of our website to honor those who have cared for these lands for generations.
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
One bittersweet departure this month was that of Baird Greene as Chief Deputy. He closes out his time at PCAO after more than 2 years of service in that role and at the conclusion of nearly 30 years of service to the people of Pima County.
The Chief Deputy role is prestigious and carries a great deal of power within the community, and with that of course comes tremendous responsibility and long hours.
At his farewell party, Baird said he would be traveling for the rest of the year with family and spending lots of time relaxing on the porch with his 2 beautiful dogs. We are so grateful for his service. And Baird, the time you are taking for yourself is so well-earned and deserved! THANK YOU!!
In our Juvenile Unit, we had a retirement at the 30-year mark of Lisa Valenzuela. Lisa is one of only two employees who served under all three administrations in the modern era here at PCAO. We will miss her terribly, but we LOVED the story she shared that she is the baby of all of her siblings and the only one retiring. “I’m looking forward to not having to be the first to leave the Carne Asada every Sunday night!” Congratulations, Lisa! And thank you for all those years of service to our community!
We produced our latest episode of The People’s Office Podcast with a focus on the Fresh Start 2024 Expo. The event was a success!
Laura had in-depth conversations with Dr. Da’ Mond Holt the creator of Fresh Start International, Tom Cortese advocate and participant in the program, and PCAO Restorative Justice Coordinator Emmanuelle Fahey.
They talked about the importance of restorative justice and giving people a fresh start in life once they reenter society after serving time in prison.
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:
Hispanic Heritage Month
Domestic Violence Awareness
Baja Birthday Party
Happy Birthday to Baja one of our Victim Services support dogs. Baja was joined by buddies Arrow and Blake. So fun!!
Our Halloween costume contest never disappoints! Staff showed up in some of the most creative costumes and had a lot of fun at the same time.
HALLOWEEN AT PCAO!!!!
The PCAO Community Newsletter is published and distributed monthly.
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