With current Marin County District Attorney Edward Berberian not seeking re-election in 2018, the race for District Attorney (DA) is wide open. The DA, a four-year position, represents the state government in prosecuting crimes while also serving as a legal advisor to Grand Jurors, who decide whether or not an a case should go to trial. Candidates AJ Brady, Anna Pletcher, and Lori Frugoli, will face off in the November elections. Let’s meet the candidates.
Born in San Francisco, AJ Brady has an intensive background in practicing law in Marin County while also raising his family here. Having served as the Deputy District Attorney for 13 years, Brady believes his experience has prepared him well for the job.
- Previous experience in county leadership and in an elected office.
- Implement initiatives such as his “Smart Crime” initiative where “violent crimes are prosecuted vigorously, non-violent lower-level offenses are diverted from the system, and fresh, innovative practices are implemented to encourage rehabilitation and lower recidivism”) to reform justice system.
Anna Pletcher is a Mill Valley resident who has served as chair of the Marin Women’s Commision, member of the Parent Teacher Association [PTA] and the Wellness Advisory board at Tamalpais, Redwood, and Drake high schools. Additionally Pletcher was Assistant Chief at her San Francisco office where she was a federal prosecutor.
- Offers new perspective as first Latina DA
- Reforming juvenile justice, specifically by advancing restorative justice through programs such as Youth Court
Lori Frugoli, a Terra Linda High School graduate, Novato resident and a Deputy District Attorney for 27 years, knows what it’s like to be a part of the Marin community. While working to earn her college degree from College of Marin, Frugoli began her career as a trendsetter and a progressive, joining the San Rafael when there were few female officers serving.
- Won the Peace Officer of the Year Award in 1982 for ‘Meritorious Service Above and Beyond the Call of Duty’ as a policewoman in San Rafael
- Expand restorative justice, focusing on alternatives to incarceration for the mentally ill, homeless, and drug addicted.