Arizona State Government November 3, 1998 General
Smart Voter

Full Biography for Janet Napolitano

Candidate for
State Attorney General


This information is provided by the candidate

For more than four years, Janet Napolitano was the United States Attorney for Arizona. As the leader of an office of more than 90 prosecutors, she managed the successful prosecution of more than 6,000 criminals, more than any other federal prosecutor in Arizona history. Their crimes included drug trafficking, violent gang-related acts on Indian reservations, hate crimes and white-collar scams.


Janet pioneered efforts to enforce several new laws, including the Youth Handgun Safety Act which makes it illegal to transfer a handgun to a minor with the knowledge that the weapon is to be used to commit a crime. She also prosecuted one of the first cases in the country under the violence Against Women Act which allows for the prosecution of persons across state lines to commit an act of domestic violence.


Because of her leadership ability and strong anti-drug stance, fellow law enforcement officers elected Janet to chair the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area executive committee in 1997. Janet also led a cooperative effort by an existing panel of local, state and federal prosecutors to enhance the prosecution of violent and dangerous offenders under federal firearms laws. As part of this effort, she supervised the prosecution of the first "Three Strikes" cases in Arizona. In November 1997, Janet resigned her post in order to run for the office of Attorney General.


Her professional and community activities and accomplishments include, among others, the following: Chair, US Attorney General's Advisory Committee; Member, Arizona Law Institute; Member, Who's Who in American Law; Fellow, Arizona Bar Foundation; Past Chair, Arizona State Bar Civil Practice and Procedure Committee; Past Board Member and President, Arizona Legal Services Corporation; Past Board Member, Phoenix Children's Hospital; Santa Clara University, Board of Regents. She was given the highest possible ratings for both competence and integrity by a leading national rating firm.

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 7, 1998 14:45
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