I am running for re-election because I believe in the positive power of this office to promote safe communities, protect the rights of victims and hold criminals accountable for their actions. As the chief prosecutor for Essex County, I am responsible for representing 
your interest before judges in criminal cases. My office has been highly effective in putting the worst criminals in jail. Under my leadership, more than 95 percent of major felons have been convicted. By putting these people – murderers, rapists, drug traffickers, child molesters and others – in jail, Essex County is a safer place to live and work.
Enforcing the law is more than simply putting bad guys in jail. For justice to be truly served, crime victims and their families must be given the support and services they need to put their lives back together. Ensuring public safety extends beyond maintaining law and order, but also involves working with individual communities to solve stubborn problems. Serving the public is not something to take for granted, but is an obligation to respond to citizens’ concerns and to make the resources of my office available to the people who elect me.
In my first campaign, I often said that my greatest challenge was going to be “doing more with less”. This is truer today than it was then. The budget crisis of this year has forced us to resort to furloughs and layoffs. However, because I have worked hard to partner with other agencies and to maintain good relationships with police, mayors and town managers, school superintendents, and others, we continue to be effective in spite of reduced resources. From auto insurance fraud and gun violence to domestic abuse and school safety, I have worked with police, schools, the courts, probation, the Sheriff’s Department, drug treatment programs, and national experts to get the very best results possible. We offer trainings, conduct joint investigations and sting operations, develop prevention programs and share intelligence.
Being your District Attorney has been enormously rewarding and gratifying, and I ask for your support so that I may continue to work on your behalf to make Essex County safe.
