#WeekInJustice: Week 109
Another extraordinarily busy week at the People’s Office. Let me explain it this way: the Superior and Justice Courts are trying to safely run through as many jury trials as possible, as we continue to dig out of the COVID-19 backlog.
This is important because victims have been waiting for justice, and some accused have been sitting in custody for years now awaiting their day in court. But that means trial cases have what’s called a priority schedule, and so as you can imagine violent victim crimes, and special victim crimes are the main cases being heard.
This puts a very heavy burden on one particular floor at the Legal Services Building: the 9th.
Just in the past week alone, prosecutors in the Special Victims Unit have won convictions in four trials involving child victims.
The emotional weight involved with such trials is heavy, so please send these particular prosecutors moving from back-to-back trials some good vibes of rest and recovery.
Black History Month has been especially profound for us this year at PCAO. The Board of Supervisors asked our own Civil Chief Sam Brown to join Dr. Cheree Meeks, President of our local NAACP, to read out the Board’s Proclamation for the month. (Pictured above)
And, in a really lasting development, PCAO has been introduced to Craig Sims. Craig came to lecture at the UA Law School, and I was so moved by his presentation on growing diversity in the legal field, I asked him to come meet our Senior Leadership Council. When he did so, he remarked, “I’ve met with and coached many leadership groups at D.A.’s Offices around the country, and I’ve never seen a room that looks like this one.”
More to come as PCAO continues to grow in a way that best reflects our community.
To be continued,
Laura
