1. ACCOUNTABILITY FOR CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS

• BOND & VIOLATION OF BOND CONDITIONS

  • Advocating for strict bond conditions in assaultive crimes--including use of GPS tether for monitoring whereabouts of the most serious, repeat offenders.

  • Ensuring all reported violations of "no contact" bond conditions are brought to the attention of the Court. ​

  • Requesting bond revocation in assaultive crimes when conduct of the defendant justifies such a request.

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• RESTITUTION
  • ​Prosecutors should be routinely asking the Court to order restitution for damages caused by defendants during the commission of their crime.
  • Examples of restitution orders Deborah J. Davis obtained while working as an Assistant Prosecutor in St. Joseph County :
    • counseling costs for a victim of criminal sexual conduct
    • repayment for IRS penalties and taxes paid by a victim of identity theft
    • Operating While Intoxicated Reimbursements for all law enforcement agencies for drunk driving cases
    • medical care for victims injured in vehicle crashes caused by defendants convicted of moving violations causing serious injury, reckless driving, and driving while intoxicated​
    • repair costs for vehicles that were maliciously damaged by defendants
    • replacement of road signs for the St. Joseph County Road Commission that were damaged during a drunk driving incident
    • repayment to the farmer for crop damage to agricultural fields during a high-speed felony vehicle pursuit
    • repair costs for equipment at the St. Joseph County Jail maliciously damaged by inmates

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2. TRAINING FOR PROSECUTORS & LAW ENFORCEMENT

• The foundation of a solid prosecutor's office includes not only having highly-skilled prosecutors, but also a well-trained law enforcement network.

• Effective training and skill development for prosecutors and law enforcement is a continuing need no matter how long someone has been in their position. The ever-changing world presents new ways for crimes to be committed, as well as updates and advancements in forensic technology.

• The current administration had only ONE prosecutor-sponsored training event back in 2021. Caselaw is always evolving, therefore keeping informed and sharing that information with law enforcement should be a top priority of the elected Prosecutor. 

• Prosecutors and law enforcement should strive to create efficiency and accuracy in how cases are investigated all the way through how they are litigated.

• There are different standards for litigating a case during prosecution as opposed to the probable cause standard needed by law enforcement to make an arrest after investigation. 

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3. CASE MANAGEMENT/EFFICIENCY

• Cases in St. Joseph County are taking too long to be sent in by law enforcement, sitting too long waiting to be reviewed in the prosecutor's office, then being delayed further by waiting for the accused to be picked up on a warrant. This needs to change, and it starts with having a leader that can effectively manage their own office and employees.

• The elected Prosecutor must be able to work collaboratively with law enforcement agencies to streamline the process without criticizing or blaming.

• The work ethic starts from the top, and the expectation is for each employee to give their best effort in order to keep cases moving through the system.