Marion County Prosecutor' s race 6 questions for incumbent Ryan Mears Election - Guns HEAD TOPICS

Marion County Prosecutor' s race 6 questions for incumbent Ryan Mears

10/23/2022 9:02:00 AM

Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears has styled himself as a more progressive leader ever since he assumed the post after then-Prosecutor Terry Curry stepped down for health reasons in 2019

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WRTV Indianapolis

Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears has styled himself as a more progressive leader ever since he assumed the post after then-Prosecutor Terry Curry stepped down for health reasons in 2019 Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears has styled himself as a more progressive leader ever since he assumed the post after then-Prosecutor Terry Curry stepped down for health reasons in 2019 Mears, Democrat, is running for re-election on Nov. 8, but this is the first time he faces voters in a general election. He won the seat on. vote by a Democratic caucus made up of party committee members.Mears' progressive-leaning policies has put him at odds with with more conservative critics including the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police, whose members recently voted overwhelmingly that they have no confidence in the prosecutor's office or the county court system. Mears: "Well, right now we see this terrible cycle of retaliatory violence because we have too many people in our community who have basically opted out of the criminal justice system. They don't trust law enforcement, so they don't tell law enforcement what happened. Read more:
WRTV Indianapolis » Marion County Prosecutor's race: 6 questions for challenger Cyndi Carrasco Hays County voters weigh ‘reeferendum,’ races for county judge, DA Recorder: No voter intimidation reports in Pima County Marion Cotillard, Andra Day, Kaitlyn Dever and Chloé Zhao Celebrate Chanel’s High-Jewelry Debut in L.A.

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To get a sense of how vast Australia really is, just ask Nedd Brockmann. He found out the hard way. Read more >> Marion County Prosecutor's race: 6 questions for challenger Cyndi CarrascoCyndi Carrasco believes the Marion County prosecutor's office needs to change at the top, and she wants to be that change. Vote out failed Prosecutor Ryan Mears. Just ask Starbucks how safe the Circle is. Hays County voters weigh ‘reeferendum,’ races for county judge, DASan Marcos will decide whether to end citations and arrests for misdemeanor marijuana... Recorder: No voter intimidation reports in Pima CountyFollowing reports of voter intimidation in Maricopa County, Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly told KGUN 9 Thursday that there have been no reports of voter intimidation in the county. Marion Cotillard, Andra Day, Kaitlyn Dever and Chloé Zhao Celebrate Chanel’s High-Jewelry Debut in L.A.'There's something very intimate about jewelry, and when I put on a piece, I always do it with an intention,' explained Cotillard, a Chanel ambassador since 2020, at a star-studded dinner for the 90th-anniversary '1932' collection. I liked Marion Cotillard’s performance in Allied (2016)! So, rich women paid to attend an event to shill jewelry to other rich people? Thrilling. Keep going with this amazing entertainment journalism. Stars Come Out to Celebrate Chanel 1932 High Jewelry Collection in L.A.Marion Cotillard, Jurnee Smollett, Maggie Rogers, Kaitlyn Dever and more partied in Chanel diamonds. San Diego County unemployment rate declines to 3.1% in SeptemberSan Diego County's unemployment rate decreased to 3.1% in September, down from a revised 3.4% in August, according to the latest figures released by the state Employment Development Department. INDIANAPOLIS — Soon after taking control, Mears grabbed headlines by announcing the office would no longer prosecute people arrested for carrying small amounts of marijuana.INDIANAPOLIS — Cyndi Carrasco believes the Marion County prosecutor's office needs to change at the top.of 9 Hays County Election personnel load voting machines onto a truck to be taken to early voting polling locations from their offices in San Marcos on Thursday, Oct.TUCSON, Ariz. This year, shortly before Indiana lawmakers gathered in Indianapolis to hammer out a statewide ban on abortions, Mears announced Marion County, home of the state capitol, would not prosecute anyone who violates that ban. Marion County saw a record-setting 282 homicides last year. I am a wife. Mears responds to critics blaming him for the rise by saying efforts likethe marijuana-decriminalization policy have freed his office to focus on prosecuting violent criminals. 8 midterm election right around the corner, quickly growing Hays County is preparing for a record-high voter turnout — and an end to a contentious local election cycle marked by controversial races. Mears, Democrat, is running for re-election on Nov. I'm running for prosecutor because of that," Carrasco said,. 8, but this is the first time he faces voters in a general election. There will be 15 Pima County sites open for early in-person voting, each with a 75-foot buffer zone for voters only. He won the seat on." An American-born daughter of naturalized Mexican immigrants, Carrasco, 42, grew up in El Paso, Texas, and moved to Indianapolis in 2003. among counties with a population of 100,000 people or more, according to the 2020 U. vote by a Democratic caucus made up of party committee members. Mears, 42, joined the Marion County Prosecutor's Office soon after he graduated law school. McKinney School of Law in 2006 and soon went to work for the Indiana Office of Inspector General as a staff attorney. He cut his teeth prosecuting misdemeanor cases before being promoted to handle homicides and other major felonies. It’s also the first election since the Republican-majority commissioners court approved redistricting lines last fall. Long before he was tapped to lead the office, Mears said he was disturbed by inequities in the justice system. In 2015, then-Gov. Your right to vote is protected. "There are inequities that exist in the criminal justice system and you think to yourself, 'Well, hey, if I ever got a chance to be in a leadership position, what can I do to try to make our system more fair?'" Mears said."And that's what we've tried to do with the prosecutor's office. Gov. Over the past 20 years, Hays has “ping-ponged back and forth” in terms of electing both Democrats and Republicans to state and local seats, said Colin Strother, a political strategist from Buda." Mears' progressive-leaning policies has put him at odds with with more conservative critics including the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police, whose members recently voted overwhelmingly that they have no confidence in the prosecutor's office or the county court system. SEE WRTV 2022 Election Guide Below are six questions and answers with the current Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears. Marion County saw a record-setting 282 homicides last year. Question: Marion County has experienced several straight years of record homicides. “There’s a lot of concern in the west county and north county about growth,” which likely will outweigh partisan concerns, Strother said. And they do it well… I think there’s a way of participating. What’s driving this violence? What can we do to stop it? Mears: "Well, right now we see this terrible cycle of retaliatory violence because we have too many people in our community who have basically opted out of the criminal justice system. "(I'm running) so that my daughter can have the opportunities that I know the city can offer. They don't trust law enforcement, so they don't tell law enforcement what happened. "We have to help bridge that gap so we can end that terrible cycle of retaliatory violence. "I want to change that. The county has added four new polling places to accommodate its expected increase in voters for early voting, which runs Oct. There is not a non-fatal shooting or a homicide that has occurred in Marion County where someone, somewhere doesn't know what happened. It's just a matter of getting those individuals to come forward. I want to get that office doing what it needs to be doing which is prosecuting crime so that our citizens here in Marion County can have the chance to make a better life for themselves. She says if someone come across a group you find threatening or intimidating outside a voting location, they should report it either to the voting location itself or to the county recorder’s office. "And that's why I think it's so important that we as a prosecutor's office can go into communities and say, 'These are the things that we can do right here right now to help. “I’m not surprised” about the increase in voter registrations, Doinoff said. We're not trying to jam you up on civil possession of marijuana cases. Carrasco, however, is running in Democrat-leaning Marion County for an office that hasn't been won by a Republican since 2006. We want to make sure we're focusing on violent crime. We want to make sure that we're helping you out with their child-support obligation."I have that leadership experience. 8: Hays County judge race For the top elected seat in the county, incumbent Democratic Judge Ruben Becerra is facing off against current Precinct 2 Commissioner and Republican Mark Jones. We want to make sure that we're helping you get your driver's license reinstated, so you can drive to and from work. We want to make sure that we're helping you get into housing. *Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.' "Those are the types of programs that build trust in our community and pay dividends down the road. As county judge, Becerra has aligned himself with left-leaning causes like jail reform and marijuana decriminalization." Q: Critics have cited cases where defendants have been released on bond only to commit other violent acts as evidence of problems in the county’s justice system. What’s driving this violence? What can we do to stop it? Carrasco: "There's no one answer to what's driving this violence. What, if anything, do you believe should be changed about the way Marion County judges decide who should be freed on bail? Mears: "Marion County judges, you know, ultimately, it's their decision in terms of to decide what type of bail to impose or not to impose. We have a bill matrix that's out there that's publicly available that everybody can take a look at that was last revised in 2017.. The Buda native has been a commissioner since 2010 and has made transportation initiatives, like the State Highway 45 connector and the FM 1626 expansion, a central part of his policy. .. The fact of the matter is that it's resulted in record homicides for the past two years. Let's have another conversation about what that matrix looks like moving forward.2 million in damages. I think there are some revisions that we can make that I think are common sense. We're on pace to hit over 200 homicides this year, over 180 So far. "No one should be in jail because they can't afford to post $100 bail. That's not what our system is about. (Note: There were 272 homicides in 2021 in the areas patrolled by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and 10 more that happened in other jurisdictions in Marion County, according to IMPD data provided to WRTV). Looking forward to Nov. Conversely, we need to make sure that the people who are committing violent crimes, the ones who are accused of committing violent crimes, that those individuals are incarcerated and their bail reflects the seriousness of the charges that they've committed. "There's only so many jail beds available. . I think we all agree murderers, rapists, child molesters, those individuals need to be in jail. “So it’ll be interesting to see what happens. .. .. "It's about holding people accountable. As a result, Hays County’s jail has become more crowded and an increasingly painful drain on taxpayer dollars. I think all of us agree that violent offenses and the people who are accused of sexual crimes, those are the individuals who we want to stay in custody, I think it's those lower-level offenses where maybe we can do a better job." Q: The FedEx shooting raised questions about how the prosecutor’s office uses Indiana’s Jake Laird/Red Flag law. There's a lot of things that the prosecutor's office can do to start to effectuate the change on a very concrete basis. What should the public understand about this law? Mears: "Well, I think the most important thing is that law what it does is it allows law enforcement to take a firearm away from somebody and take a gun under those particular circumstances. Higgins also promises to “relieve our courts of the incredible backlog of cases strangling justice in Hays County,” but differs profoundly from Puryear’s approach to prosecuting cases. That's all it does. What, if anything, do you believe should be changed about the way Marion County judges decide who should be freed on bail? Carrasco: "The prosecutor's office has a great influence on bail. If you look at the Jake Laird law, it says nothing about purchasing guns. .. Two of those seats are up for grabs Nov... The judge is the one who's going to ultimately make the decision on what bail was set, but the prosecutor's office has such great influence over what that judge decides. The only thing it talks about is it gives law enforcement the ability to take those firearms. “They determine what our bond projects look like moving forward — are we going to have more parks and open spaces, or not?” he added. What we have seen unfortunately here in Marion County, we have had individuals who have had red flag determinations, and yet we later find them in possession of a firearm.. And it goes to that weakness that we have in our system is there's no private regulation of gun sales. "We need to make sure that we're offering a meaningful resources to address our mental health issues as opposed to just labeling people. have a full picture of the individual's criminal history. Republican Mike Gonzalez and Democrat Michelle Gutierrez Cohen are vying for his seat. That's where we need to go. However, if we come into contact with someone that we're seeing as a mental health issue, what can we do to get that person into resources to help them with their mental health issues as opposed to just labeling them?" Q: Can your office do anything about that? Mears: "I think that it has to be a collective solution. "Similarly, the prosecutor's office can object or can request a higher bail based on the circumstances of each individual case.. Smith has had his share of drama this election cycle, having recently pleaded no contest to a charge of obstruction of a roadway in relation to an alleged, 2021 driving while intoxicated incident .. "So yes, it's the judges who ultimately make the decision with the prosecutor's office and the deputy prosecutors who are in court every single day have the ability to be able to effectuate the change.. It involves the judiciary. What should the public understand about this law? Carrasco: "The very basic concept that the public should understand about the Red Flag Law is that the prosecutor's office had the ability to even try to stop the shooter from purchasing the weapons that he used at the FedEx tragedy, and they didn't. Instead, he promises to fight for “lower property taxes, safer roads and highways, conservative budgets” and other things. It involves the legislature. I think what we have seen consistently is we have a real problem with mental health issues in our criminal justice system. And that simply didn't happen. Mental health issues can be addressed and treated, but you have to be willing to put in the resources.” ‘Reeferendum’ An ordinance to eliminate low-level marijuana enforcement . You have to give the prosecutors, you have to give the judges the tools to address mental health challenges that might exist. A week or two after the FedEx shooting, there have been (at least) 20 filings of red flag cases that had just been sitting there for different amounts of time. But those resources have to be made available. And so it really just comes down to an issue of priority and resources from the Indiana legislature." Q: Every employer these days is having problems filling open positions, and the prosecutor’s office is certainly no exception. Proposition A has been dubbed a “reeferendum” by advocates." Q: Every employer these days is having problems filling open positions, and the prosecutor’s office is certainly no exception. What needs to be done to recruit and retain deputy prosecutors? Mears: "Well, the first thing that happened is the counsel helped us out tremendously. It is critical to be able to recruit and retain the most talented deputy prosecutors. Our starting salary for new attorneys a year ago was $53,000. Poll watchers and election workers Considering the heated and contested races that are poised to be on Hays County voter ballots, and coming off the heels of the 2020 election, Doinoff, the elections administrator, said that Hays voters can expect to see an increase in the number of poll watchers this time around. That was not a competitive wage. "Some of the most experienced former deputy prosecutor's office members tell me . And so we were able to raise that to $60,000. .. “We have a significant interest in election security and integrity, and groups are organizing groups of poll watchers to work these elections,” Doinoff said, adding that poll watchers are not new but the “interest is larger now... . So we're getting more financial resources to offer more competitive packages. Aside from poll watchers, the county will see an increase in the number of election workers, too; about 400 people signed up to be paid poll workers, Doinoff said. "Marion County is not an easy place to work.. The level of scrutiny that you face to face in Marion County is way different than you face in any other jurisdiction. You definitely deal with more challenges in terms of the level of cooperation that you see from witnesses and victims on cases. "When the new prosecutor came in, that changed. She added that she expects a significant voter turnout this time around, especially compared to other midterm election cycles, which typically see lower voter turnout than presidential election years. And so in many respects, it's a more difficult job. That means that what we are selling to people is you get a chance to work with the best trial attorneys in the state of Indiana.. .” Annie Blanks writes for the Express-News through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms.. They felt that they were no longer able to do the job that they signed up for, to hold criminals accountable.. So you get to learn from the best. "When Cyndi Carrasco becomes prosecutor, we're going to get back to business... . We're going to make sure that they have the training and the mentorship to be able to do their job fully, confidently and that they'll be supported in their job. We're very much the big leagues. "Some of the policies that we've taken are particularly attractive to young professionals. "We talked about some of the plea deals in some of the cases that we've seen from the prosecutor's office and almost in all the cases that I've reviewed now . Young Professionals appreciate the fact that we say we're not going to waste your time or our time on simple possession of marijuana. That appeals to really smart people who want to work in public service.. .. We have to get serious when it comes to people who commit crimes with guns.. We're not asking our prosecutors to waste their time on things that don't impact that bottom line of public safety." Q: Youth crime is a constant problem." Q: How can the prosecutor’s office keep guns out of the hands of violent felons and other people who should not have them? Mears: "Well, I think one of it is advocating at the Statehouse level. I already mentioned this, but the private gun sales is a real problem. What’s driving juvenile crime and how can the prosecutor’s office address the problems? Carrasco: "It is heartbreaking to me to hear that 13 year olds are being arrested, that 13 year olds are getting involved in some pretty serious crimes. I think the second part of it is we are seeing more and more young people getting access to firearms. .... I believe that every individual's interaction with the criminal justice system is an opportunity for us to be able to put that person on a better path, and it's so true when it comes to to juveniles. (It) used to be you kind of had to know somebody. Now you just have to get on Instagram or Facebook and someone in your feed is likely selling a firearm. I think that in order for us to really start to make a difference. As a consequence, we're seeing the wrong people get their hands on firearms much earlier in their life. "So I think one of the things that we can do from a law enforcement perspective is we need to continue to crack down on these internet sales. It's going to take a partnership with faith based leaders. We need to be very aggressive in terms of if we see those firearms for sale. .... They want the prosecutor to be sitting at the table to be part of the solution. We also have to do a better job of advocating at the Statehouse that permit-less carry is not popular in Marion County for a variety of reasons. And it really hamstrings law enforcement's ability to enforce what gun laws are there. Absolutely not. It used to be a very simple choice for law enforcement, do you have a permit or not? Now they have to look at 20 different things to try to figure out if someone's able to actually possess that firearm and oftentimes they don't have access to that information from where they're standing. "So we need to continue to go to the legislature and say permit-less carry is not working for Marion County. The prosecutor's office can have a hand in that. This is why it's not working. And see if we can get a law that more accurately reflects the challenges that we face here. It's about the nonprofit organizations that are focused on making sure that juveniles have an outlet instead of joining other people who might recruit them for criminal activity. Giving everybody a gun doesn't make our community safer. " Q: Youth crime is a constant problem." READ 6 questions with incumbent Ryan Mears Watch the full interview with Cyndi Carrasco below. We’ve seen two high-profile cases recently of 13-year-olds charged with murder. What’s driving juvenile crime and how can the prosecutor’s office address the problems? Mears: "You have too many young people who have access to guns and they're easily available over the internet. One is, what do you think about gun control? Carrasco: "My number one focus is violent crime. And as a consequence, you have people who have little or no impulse control with firearms.. That's why I'm running. . That's part of the challenge.. I think the other part is what we're seeing is these are kids that oftentimes have severe mental health issues. And in one of the cases that I'm thinking of the kid had literally just been released from a mental health facility and then days later, he ends up in a homicide and so I think it goes back to that level of treatment and care that we're providing to young people. "There was much talk about the constitutional carry bill. "We have to invest in (providing) those mental health services to people at a younger and younger age. And I think our intervention point has to continue to be younger. I am a very data-oriented leader and I very much want to keep track of what effects this constitutional-carry law has and let the data then dictate what where we go from here. You know, when we used to have conversations about violence, we're kind of focusing on high school kids. That's not true anymore. Every action of the prosecutor's office is going to be look through that lens of how can we reduce crime. We've lowered that age group pretty significantly, because we want to be having conversations with those fifth and sixth graders, because we know unfortunately, violence could be just around the corner with those kids. So we work really hard to help give kids the ability to resolve conflicts without having to use a gun.. " READ 6 questions for challenger Cyndi Carrasco Watch the full interview with Ryan Mears below. Contact WRTV reporter Vic Ryckaert at victor. is a reason for the rise in crime and issues facing every city, not just our [email protected] or on Twitter: @vicryc. "Law enforcement officers often (tell) me, 'Look, we were trained to be law enforcement officers, not necessarily to deal with some of the mental health issues and the mental health crisis or behavioral crisis that we're facing. .