League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA June 8, 2010 Election
	Jeff Rosen Answers Questions Candidate for District Attorney; County of Santa Clara

The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What experience and training would you bring to this office?

I bring fifteen years of experience prosecuting some of the most difficult cases in the county and doing so in an ethical and fair manner, seeking justice more than just convictions. In my endorsement from the San Jose Mercury News, they described me as "well qualified with a sterling record of prosecutorial skill and personal integrity." This background of experience and integrity will help me enforce the law and lead the DA's office. Our county deserves a DA who lives up to the ethical standards of the community. With integrity, hard work, and humility, I will bring public trust and confidence back to the DA's office.

I also bring experience managing a large nonprofit organization, my 2000+ member synagogue, managing our budget in the millions, supervising the extensive staff, and bringing change to the organization. This management experience also extends to the District Attorney's office, with the Mercury News lauding my background "managing a prosecution team of investigators, experts, and the like..." This experience, my prosecutorial record, and my commitment to integrity are the main reasons why our county's bar association (Santa Clara County Bar Association) voted by a nearly 2-1 margin to endorse me for District Attorney. I look forward to continuing my career of keeping our community safe, forcefully prosecuting criminals, and exhibiting the integrity and judgment that our county deserves.

2. What changes do you think need to be made in the way this office operates?

The District Attorney is a representative of the people who ensures that the justice process is fair. It is crucial that the District Attorney apply a high ethical standard to all criminal cases. This ethical standard---and the public perception of integrity---are imperative for an effective and functioning District Attorney's office. I will prosecute strongly and fairly, drawing on my experience these past 15 years prosecuting the toughest cases and my reputation for ethics.

As DA, I will reform the office by taking a number of specific steps, including:

• Creating a Conviction Integrity Unit to handle requests that we look into old convictions. DNA technology has made it possible to review old cases where the conviction could have been inappropriate. These cases are very rare, but when a DNA result throws a conviction into question, I want to know. A prosecutor's job is to pursue justice, not just rack up convictions.

• Funding the Cold Case investigations and hiring an extra investigator to probe the hundreds of unsolved rapes, robberies and murders. Often, there is evidence from old crime scenes that we can send to the Crime Lab to test for DNA and figure out who committed the crime. For instance, the cold case DNA murder case that I just prosecuted - People v. Darryl Shearer from 1994. This is a priority for victims, and the entire community.

• Opening Discovery Before trial, each prosecutor will invite the defense attorney to look through our D.A. file (minus work product) to make sure that the defense has all required discovery to represent his or her client.

3. Within the budget limitations, how would you prioritize the responsibilities of your office?

Besides the specific changes I outlined in the previous question, I also hope to carry out the following more general goals:

• Having the highest professional standards of any D.A.'s office in the state. As the attorneys for the People, each prosecutor will treat everyone with respect and courtesy--witnesses, judges, defense attorneys, and victims.

• Demanding transparency and openness. The D.A. is representative of the People in the criminal justice system. Therefore, I will ensure that the public understands what the District Attorney's Office is doing to achieve justice on its behalf.

• Establishing a diverse office. Members of the District Attorney's Office should reflect our diverse community. I will take proactive measures to hire outstanding individuals who represent our community's diversity.

---

Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Candidate Page || Feedback to Candidate || This Contest
SmartVoter Home (Ballot Lookup) || About Smart Voter

---

Created from information supplied by the candidate: June 1, 2010 19:32
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://www.lwvc.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.