TUCSON, ARIZONA – March 13, 2024 -Statement below:
Much has been said about allegations made against me to the State Bar of Arizona by members of the former PCAO administration: first, while I was a candidate, then weeks after taking office by former County Attorney Steve Neely. Those bar charges were dismissed. Thereafter, David Berkman, also former PCAO administration, submitted a bar charge with approximately 22 various allegations against me, some regarding the Louis Taylor case. I have not been found guilty of any ethical transgressions, and I have not admitted to any.
Statements I made, especially during the last campaign, apparently led certain members of the prior PCAO administration to conclude that I have a personal bias regarding the Taylor case. I was not then and still am not biased about the Taylor case, or any other case. The law is the law, and the facts are the facts. Since I took Office, every decision I have made has been based on the law and facts as I understand them. I never let personal opinion or outside influence interfere with any of my decisions. As your County Attorney, I pledge I will never be swayed by anyone’s preconceptions or opinions, including my own. I listen to trusted advisors and encourage them to speak openly. Then I make my own decisions.
We’re all human beings. Each one of us can learn from past events. Since the day I took the oath of office, I have done everything within my power and ability to live up to its high standards and the faith the voters of Pima County placed in me. I have agreed with the State Bar that I will seek advice from experts about communication and perception and will take a seminar. The agreement I have made with the State Bar is not discipline against me as a lawyer. It is an agreement without a finding of ethical misconduct. Despite the allegations made against me by Mr. Berkman, I have remained focused and steadfast on the mission of the People’s Office: public health and safety, victim’s rights, criminal justice, and excellent legal advice to the Board of Supervisors, County Administration, and every County Department. I simply will not be distracted nor deterred from that mission.
Laura Conover
Pima County Attorney
The Pima County Attorney’s Office is committed to restorative justice, transparency, and accountability as the focus of a mission that also seeks alternatives to incarceration when appropriate, provides support for victims, and strives to be inclusive and equitable to all segments of the communities we serve in the pursuit of public safety and wellbeing.
Media Contact: Shawndrea Thomas
Director of Communications
Pima County Attorney’s Office
(520) 724-5738 (Office)
(520) 310-4720 (Mobile)
Shawndrea.Thomas@pcao.pima.gov
