NATIONAL DISTRICT ATTORNEYS ASSOCIATION ADOPTS RESOLUTION AGAINST TERM LIMITS FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEYS
Denver, Colorado -- October 21, 2002 – The National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) is against term limits for District Attorneys. The complexities of leading an office whose mission is to seek justice requires learned, experienced prosecutors.
Dan Alsobrooks, District Attorney of the 23rd Judicial District in Charlotte, Tennessee and current NDAA president said, “District Attorneys with experience, historical knowledge and continuity in working within their communities are an invaluable asset. Term limits should not be placed on the chief law enforcement officers of our states especially now – with their involvement in the war on terrorism – while they also continue to combat violent crime in our neighborhoods.”
Forced turnover in a district attorney’s office disrupts local law enforcement practices and may make it much more difficult for communities to find qualified attorneys to run for the office of District Attorney – especially in rural communities. The loss of an experienced prosecutor can result in extraordinary difficulty in handling complex cases and appeals. Additionally, term limits do not apply to public defenders and other criminal defense attorneys.
Communities are better served if District Attorneys are encouraged, rather than discouraged, to pursue prosecution as a career. Term limits for prosecutors may unduly politicize an office that must be dedicated to pursuing justice rather than being a stepping-stone in a political career.
The NDAA in its training and standards for prosecutors advocates that attorneys pursue prosecution as a career. Consequently the NDAA supports the concept of career prosecutors who are not subject to statutory or constitutional term limits.
The NDAA is the only association that represents prosecutors in America. It has approximately 6,500 members who represent state and local prosecutors who prosecute more than 95% of all violent crimes that take place in the United States.
CONTACT: Velva M. Walter
Director, Media Relations (NDAA)
703-519-1689 – Email: velva.walter@ndaa-apri.org
|
