A “win” for justice
For too long, a “win” for a prosecutor has been a tally of convictions and trial results often resembling a sports scoreboard. We often track success in our justice system with a simple count, choosing to minimize the complexities of every personal story. We have not adequately valued how our justice system treats those who come into contact with it. Yet if we continue to quantify and value “win-loss” metrics, without considering other indicators of the legitimacy and fairness of our system of justice, we will erode the trust our community must have in those charged with promoting public safety.
As a professional athlete, an elected prosecutor, and a justice system leader, we work in the public eye and are privileged that our communities have bestowed tremendous trust in the work we seek to carry out. To live up to that trust, both on and off our respective “courts,” we believe that we need to bring a new vision to our justice system that moves beyond simply a result-driven finish line and instead brings a broader lens to promoting safe and healthy communities. We feel a responsibility to make the most of our platforms and our privilege by demanding that those around us — those who come to our games to support us, those who voted for us, or those in our neighborhood who have high hopes that we will bring a higher level of thinking to our criminal justice system — are treated with respect, dignity, and fairness.
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