Dear Editor:

I really want the public to know that I, as the elected DA, am duty bound not only to disclose exculpatory evidence to the defense bar, but I also I have an ethical legal duty to inform the citizens of our communities when law enforcement engages in conduct that compromises successful prosecution and treads on citizens rights. The District Attorney has no role in conducting or supervising law enforcement investigations. But rather the DA's Offices must evaluate the law enforcement investigations to see whether they have provided enough evidence to charge and to proceed to trial.

The DA's office as a courtesy offers training in the areas that law enforcement requesst: legal Update; DV (domestic violence); sexual assault; investigation and search and seizure, but this is above and beyond what the Department of Public Safety imposes on all law enforcement offers to maintain their certifications.

We are fortunate to have the vast majority of law enforcement officers as dedicated, caring, and brave men and women who put their lives on the line everyday in pursuit of apprehending criminals and eradicating crime from our communities.

I was advised recently that 17 lawsuits had been filed against local police agencies since 2012 based on various theories of Civil Rights' violations and other federal claims. Needless to say, a few officers continue to engage in irregular police practices, which directly impacts the DA's Office ability to prosecute cases. An example of this albatross is the recent discovery of the chaos and the state of disarray of Region VII drug task force evidence vault , and case file management system.

As a public figure I hold the public trust in the highest regard and would rather be known as the "DA that stood up to mediocrity and began to clean it up, " rather than the DA that looked the other way and passed the buck.

During the 21 years as a prosecutor and the 31/2 years as your elected DA, I have instituted trainings with law enforcement and my Prosecutors to identify and address problems that exist. We all need to step it up and demand excellence of one another. If we do this, a new Leadership will emerge with higher standards for the rank and file to aspire to. Excellence in law enforcement is an attainable goal when all the community partners are invested.

Sinceramente,

Francesca M. Estevez
Sixth Judicial District Attorney