Broward State Attorney Mike Satz. His retirement has sparked a crowded race to replace him. Photo: Candace West/Freelance. Broward State Attorney Mike Satz's retirement has sparked a crowded race to replace him. Photo: Candace West/Freelance.

Ahead of Broward State Attorney Mike Satz's retirement after more than four decades in office, eight Democratic candidates have raised their hands to take his place.

Attorneys David Cannady, Teresa Fanning-Williams, Joe Kimok, James "Jimmy" Stewart Lewis, Justin McCormack, Sarahnell Murphy, Harold Fernandez Pryor and Joshua Rydell have each answered five questions about why they deserve a vote in Florida's Aug. 18 primary election. Responses have been edited for style and content.

Independent candidate Broward Assistant State Attorney Sheila Alu and Republican civil litigator Gregg Rossman will also run for state attorney in the November general election.

Related: 2020 South Florida Elections: Use this Voter Guide to Learn More About Candidates Running for Judge

David Cannady

Cannady is an assistant Broward state attorney, and has worked in the U.S. Senate and the Obama administration.

Assistant Broward State Attorney David Cannady. Courtesy photo. Assistant Broward State Attorney David Cannady. Courtesy photo

Why are you running for this position?

I am running for running for state attorney because our criminal justice system needs to be reformed. Broward deserves a champion for justice with experience in law, legislation and policy that will fight for victims and fight to reform. David is that champion! I am passionate about running for this position because I firmly believe through experience Broward County needs to experience an impactful change for all citizens. Our communities are in need of equitable and fair prosecution through all of the courts. A great deal of compromise has hit the vulnerable members of our community including communities of color, lower class, the elderly and disenfranchised populations. We all deserve a growing economy, justice, security, trust, as well as peace of mind when it comes to interacting with law enforcement. As times continue to change and the generations move forward, it is clear that Broward County needs 21st century prosecution in order to thrive!

What about your experience qualifies you for the position?

I am currently a prosecutor for Broward County focusing on some of our county's worst crimes. I already do the work for the position of state attorney. State attorney is not only a prosecutor position but it is managerial as well, responsible for the entire team. I have been involved in policy and law for almost 15 years. My foundation for generational change started when I worked for Sen. Jim Webb's campaign in 2006.

I later headed a field office that managed over 200 volunteers. I traveled through the state, speaking about reform as the foundation of change. During the campaign, I was able to give speeches in front of hundreds of supporters and, at the end of the campaign, developed a speech on generational change in front of 13,000 volunteers and supporters from the surrounding areas.

After that, I worked in the U.S. Senate and in the White House for the Obama administration. During this time, I worked on laws and policies which affect us today—criminal justice reform, health care, veterans affairs, job creation and civil rights. Believe or not, I worked in the most productive Congress in our generation and was pivotal in helping craft proposed legislation. I worked in the Florida Supreme Court and Florida's Office of Policy and Budget. All of these experiences have prepared me to lead with passion, empathy and devotion!

What's your biggest achievement so far?

I have held many titles and opportunities for leadership. Some of those rewarding experiences have been business owner, executive, lead prosecutor, political staffer at the Senate House, campaign staff, staffing and assistant for the president. I am grateful for all of these eye-opening opportunities, but my No.1 accomplishment is being a family man of devotion. I am a son, husband and father of one baby son.

What would a successful term look like for you?

A successful term for me would look like the implementation of current policies, training programs, beginning the process of necessary reform for social justice change, annual data reports of excessive force from the Broward County Police Department and reforming the local bail system.

What is the most important issue facing your county at the moment?

Because we have had the same prosecuting technique for the past 45 years, there is more than one issue to be addressed. No. 1: diversity in staffing. No. 2: the need to set a new standard for excellence (the win-at-all-cost method has to end), and transparency from top, bottom and community.

Teresa Fanning-Williams

Fanning-Williams practices criminal defense at the Law Offices of Teresa Fanning-Williams in Fort Lauderdale. She has also served as a prosecutor and is a former division chief.

Fort Lauderdale criminal defense lawyer Teresa Fanning-Williams. Courtesy photo. Fort Lauderdale criminal defense lawyer Teresa Fanning-Williams. Courtesy photo.

Why are you running for this position?

This is the second time that I will run because I feel that our system is warped by politics and money.

What about your experience qualifies you for the position?

I have 25 years of experience as a lawyer. I worked 10 years as a prosecutor and ultimately became the division chief of the career criminal unit. I supervised over 150 lawyers, had three assistant chiefs, and was in charge of the statistical data base to monitor our progress and report to the state.

I have been a defense attorney for 14 years. I am one of a handful of women who has been successful as a private criminal defense attorney. I have a degree in the administration of criminal justice and I am the only candidate who is board certified in criminal trial. I have over 75 jury trials to verdict, including racketeering, murder, sexual battery, attempted murder, armed robbery, home invasion robbery and organized scheme to defraud cases. I supervised and have mentored many individuals in my career and look forward to training the lawyers at the Broward County State Attorney's Office.

What's your biggest achievement so far?

Being married for 30 years and successfully raising two young adults. But in my career, it is running against Mike Satz, the 40-year incumbent, and getting 48% of the vote.

What would a successful term look like for you?

I will need to successfully change the culture of the State Attorney's Office. Attorneys will use discretion and do what is right. People who are charged will be considered humans. People who are victims will be respected. This will take a lot of work and will require the experience level to gain the respect of those in the system who will resist change.

What is the most important issue facing your county at the moment?

Public corruption has destroyed this county. Those with money create the rules and systems to benefit themselves. We need a state attorney who is completely independent, who understands both sides of the system. I am that candidate.

Joe Kimok

Kimok is assistant regional counsel at the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel in Fort Lauderdale, and is a former prosecutor and English teacher.

Joe Kimok, a government attorney at the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel. Courtesy photo. Joe Kimok, a government attorney at the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel. Courtesy photo.

Why are you running for this position?

I'm running to dismantle mass incarceration and keep all of our communities safe. As a criminal defense lawyer who exclusively represents people who cannot afford one, I cannot watch the parade of injustices that occur in our criminal courts every day without doing more. Mass incarceration has been the greatest moral and domestic failure of the last 40 years. The U.S. has 5% of the world's population but 25% of the world's incarcerated people. We have more Black men in prison or on probation or parole than we had enslaved men in 1850. As Bryan Stevenson says, we have a legal system that treats you better if you are rich and guilty than if you are poor and innocent. Mass incarceration has created a permanent caste system in the U.S. that treats people with convictions as second-class citizens. Electing a state attorney committed to dismantling mass incarceration is the best way to revolutionize our criminal justice system.

I'm also running for my kids. My wife is Black and together we have two small children who will one day be teenagers. I refuse to wake up 10 years from now and still have this same criminal legal system we have today where I have to be afraid for them when they walk out the door.

What about your experience qualifies you for the position?

Professionally, I've tried every type of criminal case there is, from misdemeanors to juvenile to felonies to homicides—from both sides. I'm in our criminal courtrooms every day representing folks who can't afford a lawyer. I stand next to innocent people who plead guilty just to get out of jail, parents whose kids get sentenced to years in adult prison; I proudly stand with folks who the state is trying to execute.

Our campaign has drafted the most comprehensive proposals for a new State Attorney's Office of any campaign. These proposals are not the result of what we think will most likely get us elected. They are the result of hundreds of hours research of what has worked in other jurisdictions, and thousands of hours of my own lived experience in Broward criminal courtrooms.

My own life experience is also unique. I am the oldest son of a single mom who raised three of us on food stamps. After graduating from Florida State University, I spent the first three years of my career teaching high school English as a second language at an inner-city, low-income school in Houston. Having grown up in poverty, teaching kids living in poverty and now representing folks in poverty, I understand how symbiotic the relationship is between poverty and crime.

What's your biggest achievement so far?

Professionally: for the past six years I have had the privilege of representing indigent people accused of crimes in court. I've met people from all walks of life and have learned something profoundly impactful from each and every one. Oftentimes, I am the only person there supporting a person that society has deemed criminal. As a criminal defense attorney, I've come to realize that each and every person is so much more than the worst thing they've ever done. This has by far been the best job of my life.

Personally: becoming a dad to my two beautiful children, Jackson and Julia. After growing up without a father around, I knew that welcoming these two tiny lives into the world would be difficult. But no one could prepare me for how amazing it has been, or how rewarding. I'm committed to waking up every day and helping to build a community that keeps them safe and empowering them to grow into the amazing people they can be.

What would a successful term look like for you?

A successful term would include reducing the local jail population by half, reducing the number of new prison admissions by two-thirds, decreasing recidivism rates, decreasing the homicide rate, decreasing the overall number of convictions by half, decreasing violent crime and property crime rates, reducing the average length of our prison and probation sentences, eliminating all racial disparities in the criminal justice system in Broward, creating an office made up of lawyers and staff that reflect the racial and gender diversity of our community, and building a relationship of trust between law enforcement and communities of color.

What is the most important issue facing your county at the moment?

Eliminating mass incarceration is the single biggest issue facing our district. Under that umbrella:

Reforming juvenile justice: our juvenile system is profoundly broken. We are shuffling kids into it, exposing them to more trauma, then shuffling them out as more hardened criminals. Ninety percent of kids in detention centers have experienced major trauma, but our system does nothing to address it. Building a new system that treats kids like kids and addresses the underlying cause of juvenile crime will take exceptional buy-in from local leaders in our community.

Expanding diversion: we must replace the standard prosecution model for most crimes by making diversion the rule, not the exception. Diversion addresses the underlying cause of crime, making our community safer and keeping collateral consequences of a conviction off a person's record. We do not have nearly enough diversion programs in Broward. The next state attorney will have to be an aggressive leader in building up our diversion programs if we are to be successful.

Healing and trust: very little will be accomplished without community support. People of color rightly recognize that the system has oppressed them for decades, while many others feel the system has not done enough to protect them from crime. We must bring together all of Broward's communities to promote a new vision of justice and safety.

James "Jimmy" Stewart Lewis

Lewis has 28 years of experience as a criminal defense attorney, and practices at James S. Lewis in Fort Lauderdale. He's also an adjunct law professor and a former prosecutor.

James James "Jimmy" Lewis. Courtesy photo.

Why are you running for this position?

Because of the pandemic, the next months and possibly longer are going to be very difficult for our community. We need a steady, experienced person to bring change and accountability to the State Attorney's Office. We need someone who will, above all else, protect the community from violent and dangerous criminals. We need to engage with our police to form a community partnership so that all can feel that our criminal justice system is fair and there for everybody. I feel I can do this because of my courtroom experience and long history of positive relationships in our Broward criminal justice community.

What about your experience qualifies you for the position?

I've spent 12 years as a prosecutor, first as an assistant state attorney in Orlando (1981-1985), special prosecutor to Gov. Bob Graham (1985-1987), then as assistant statewide prosecutor in the Florida Attorney General's Office (1987-1992), followed by 28 years of criminal defense practice, handling murders and major felony crimes. I have approximately 300 felony trials, 25 of which were first-degree murder trials, and 12 of which involved the death penalty. I am also an adjunct law professor at Nova Southeastern University, where, for 30 years, I have taught many of the young state attorneys, public defenders and even a few judges. My trial experience on both sides, and my history of never running away from a difficult case, gives me the experience edge on my opponents.

What's your biggest achievement so far?

Being an accomplished trial lawyer and a successful father to four now-grown children with a new granddaughter. I have fought in courtrooms for 40 years, first to protect the community as a prosecutor, and now to give those accused of crimes a second chance. I have fought for the mentally ill, the drug addicted and for reform of our juvenile justice system. I'm also proud of my teaching skills and ability to mentor young lawyers to become great trial lawyers.

What would a successful term look like for you?

Rebuilding the trust between law enforcement and our community. Training our prosecutors to be professional, prepared and proficient. More successful diversion programs to deal with drug abuse, mental illness and youthful offenders. Training our police to be more community friendly and less militaristic, and more respectful of our minority communities

What is the most important issue facing your county at the moment?

The lack of trust in the criminal justice system by minority communities and the effect of the pandemic on securing justice and protecting the community during this crisis. We must engage our police by letting them know that we support them, but that we cannot tolerate police brutality against anyone. Nobody dislikes a bad cop worse than a good cop. A good prosecutor realizes the importance of a good working relationship with the police, but will also hold those same police accountable when they commit wrongdoings. Truth over power every time.

Justin McCormack

McCormack is an assistant Broward state attorney. He's also a former civil litigator and has served as a prosecutor in Pittsburgh.

Assistant Broward State Attorney Justin McCormack. Courtesy photo. Assistant Broward State Attorney Justin McCormack. Courtesy photo.

Why are you running for this position?

The people of Broward County deserve a long-overdue systematic reform of their criminal justice system and I am uniquely qualified to make the needed changes. I have the vision, values, temperament and, most importantly, the experience necessary to effectuate these reforms, and I believe it is my civic duty to run for this office and offer my skills and abilities to get this extremely important job done.

One of the most significant issues our country is currently facing is police brutality. I am the only candidate in this race that is prosecuting police for their misconduct. Holding those in power accountable, as our history indicates, is no easy task. As an American, I have strong beliefs about equitable justice and accountability, and I am running because I believe I can make a significant impact in both of those endeavors.

I understand that most people that enter our criminal justice system suffer from an underlying issue, and that a conviction and incarceration will not help them on their path to rehabilitation. Having represented indigent defendants and served in two prosecutors' offices, I know how to utilize the criminal justice system to help people return to society. I am running for office to seek justice for victims and to end the mass criminalization that has had an exceedingly negative impact on the residents of Broward County.

What about your experience qualifies you for the position?

I am the only candidate that has served as a prosecutor in two different prosecutors' offices in two different states, and in each office I started at the bottom, handling low-level offenses and climbed through the ranks to prosecuting first-degree felonies. As an assistant state attorney here in Broward, I served in two special units: the 10-20-life unit, where I prosecuted shootings, and the special prosecutions and public corruption unit, where I currently investigate and prosecute police brutality, corrupt politicians, dishonest lawyers, government employees and others who break the trust of the public.

In the last five years, I have taken over 20 jury trials to verdict. In addition to my prosecutorial experience, I have also seen what it looks like from the other side of the courtroom by representing indigent defendants charged with crimes. As a result of my varied experiences, I have a well-rounded perspective of the criminal justice system. I know what works, what does not and how the system ought to be changed for the benefit of all.

What's your biggest achievement so far?

Over the past seven years as a prosecutor, I have worked tirelessly to resolve each of the thousands of criminal cases I have handled in the most fair and just manner possible. I believe my biggest achievement is being able to look back on my body of work knowing that I did everything I could to seek justice for each victim, and each defendant, in every case that I brought before the court.

What would a successful term look like for you?

A successful first term would include, but not be limited to: helping more victims feel that they have received meaningful justice through the resolution of cases via trials, pleas and restorative justice programs; the expansion of diversion programs, including an increase across the board of the number of people that successfully complete diversion; an increase in those who need mental health treatment receiving that treatment; an increase in the rate of convictions on the cases ultimately taken to trial; a decrease in the number of criminal cases filed; a decrease in the number of people sent to prison; a decrease in the number of years given to those that are sent to prison; a decrease in the number of years of probation given to those placed on supervision; a reduction of people who are held in jail because they cannot afford to pay the bail; and an improved relationship between my office, the people of Broward County and the other members of the criminal justice system.

What is the most important issue facing your county at the moment?

Without question, the most important issue we are facing right now is COVID-19. It is affecting all of our lives in one way or another, and is also having a negative impact on our criminal justice system, from those that enforce the law to those that are incarcerated and would like to have their day in court. Our new way of life is ever changing, and it will be extremely important to have a state attorney that knows how to use the right amount of discretion to respond proactively to the current crisis.

Discretion should be used to balance the rights of victims, the interests of justice and the safety of all involved by diverting people away from crowded courtrooms and jails, handling necessary hearings electronically and postponing proceedings that can be set off. For those incarcerated pretrial, the state attorney should work with defense attorneys and local law enforcement to formulate plans for either pretrial release that does not endanger the public, or safe pretrial detention. The state attorney will have to be able to work well with other leaders in our community and quickly come up with viable solutions to solve unexpected problems, while safeguarding the rights of all.

Sarahnell Murphy

Murphy has served in the Broward State Attorney's Office for 24 years, and is chief of its misdemeanor trial unit.

Assistant Broward State Attorney Sarahnell Murphy. Courtesy photo. Assistant Broward State Attorney Sarahnell Murphy. Courtesy photo.

Why are you running for this position?

I care deeply about our community. I have dedicated my professional career to keeping Broward residents safe, and serving as a voice for crime victims. I have had the privilege to serve as an assistant state attorney for the past 24 years. I want to continue to do the work I am so passionate about.

Broward County faces many challenges moving forward. I have the experience, proven leadership skills and compassion to take this office into its next chapter.

What about your experience qualifies you for the position?

I have had the privilege to serve as an assistant state attorney for the past 24 years. I have tried 130 cases to verdict, ranging from misdemeanors to murder. Early in my career, while serving as a felony trial unit supervisor, I was recognized by the Broward chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving for my work prosecuting DUI manslaughter cases.

I have served as the chief of our domestic violence unit, as well as the chief of our misdemeanor trial unit. In those roles, I have supervised hundreds of people. I am very proud of the innovative diversionary programs I have created, including Broward's first domestic violence diversion program. For my work there, I was awarded the Rebecca Lee Knox Community Leader Award by the Broward Domestic Violence Council.

In my current role as a misdemeanor trial unit chief, I am responsible for the intake and case filing of every misdemeanor crime in Broward County. In addition to the daily supervision of our three satellite offices, I supervise 20 criminal divisions, oversee all misdemeanor diversion program and serve as a member of our hiring committee.

Throughout my career, I've remained involved in our community. As a member of the Broward Bar Association, I have served on numerous committees, as well a grievance committee for the Florida Bar. In 2015, I was awarded the Joseph J. Carter Professionalism Award by the Broward Bar.

What's your biggest achievement so far?

I have listed several of my professional achievements in the previous question. However, I regard my role as a mom to our two little girls as my greatest achievement.

What would a successful term look like for you?

A steady decline in Broward County's crime rate, as public safety must be our first priority. Implementing measures, through a collaborative effort with all the stakeholders, to ensure that all Broward citizens are treated with respect, equally and fairly, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity. Recruiting and retaining attorneys reflective of the diverse community that we serve, and creating and maintaining a positive office culture.

What is the most important issue facing your county at the moment?

We must seek input from the diverse community we serve, and work together with all of our community leaders and stakeholders to rebuild the public's trust in the criminal justice system as a whole.

Harold Fernandez Pryor

Pryor is a Plantation litigator who has served as corporate counsel for fiber optics telecommunications company Hotwire Communications Ltd. in Fort Lauderdale and as an assistant Broward state attorney. He's also past president of the TJ Reddick Bar Association.

Harold Fernandez Pryor, corporate counsel at Hotwire Communications Ltd. in South Florida. Courtesy photo. Harold Fernandez Pryor, corporate counsel at Hotwire Communications Ltd. in South Florida. Courtesy photo.

Why are you running for this position?

I am running for state attorney because I believe that we can initiate ground-level criminal justice reform while not compromising the safety of our communities. I grew up in an environment where members of my family, my friends and even I believed that the criminal justice system did not work for people like me. However, I learned at an early age that if I wanted to change the system, it would be best for me to work to change the system from within.

What about your experience qualifies you for the position?

I served as a prosecutor, where I managed cases ranging from misdemeanors to serious felony offenses. I served as an associate attorney in civil practice, then served as an in-house counsel for a multimillion-dollar telecommunications company. I have a varied level of experience, from representing governmental entities right out of law school, to serving as a prosecutor and working for a major insurance defense firm then in the private sector as in-house counsel to telecommunications company.

In my young age, I have exhibited that I have a diverse range of legal experience to deal with the complex legal issues that we will encounter and I have the business acumen needed to run the Office of the State Attorney, which employees 511 individuals. I have experienced the criminal justice system from the viewpoint of a prosecutor who served the people of Broward, and understand that everyone, no matter their walk of life, wants safer communities. I am also a father to a 2-year-old Black son, and I want to ensure that we have a safer world for him to grow and thrive in.

What's your biggest achievement so far?

Being both a husband and father are by far my greatest achievements. But if I had to reflect on other achievements, the biggest achievement was when I was president of the TJ Reddick Bar Association.

I led the charge in having the statute of the former Florida Gov. Napoleon B. Broward removed from the central courthouse. Broward held and verbalized white supremacist views. The statute of Broward symbolized white supremacy; and I believed that in a place that is supposed to represent fairness, justice and equality, it was inappropriate for Broward's monument to greet people of color who frequented the North Wing of the Broward County Courthouse. Now that section of the courthouse is named after the county's first Black judge, TJ Reddick Jr.

What would a successful term look like for you?

I will know that we've been successful when we have a State Attorney's Office that is truly reflective of the community it serves, when we no longer use the metric of "conviction rate" to determine the value of a prosecutor, but rather justice, fairness and equality are the measuring points; and when other prosecution offices around the country are modeling their offices after Broward County.

What is the most important issue facing your county at the moment?

Racial sentencing disparities and police accountability. We have to create a system that holds both prosecutors and law enforcement officers accountable. First, we can do that by implementing robust racial and implicit bias training programs. Secondly, we should invest in software that can track prosecutorial conduct while holding prosecutors accountable in the process.

The State Attorney's Office should have open and transparent processes when making filing decisions involving law enforcement misconduct and when addressing racial sentencing disparities. The failed "war on drugs" has decimated millions of families. At sentencing, an assistant state attorney must consider the benefits and costs before sending someone to prison. When recommending a sentence of probation, assistant state attorneys will be trained to compare the cost of incarceration to the cost of probation. Assistant state attorneys will be instructed on the positive rehabilitative factors of a probationary sentence, such as permitting the defendant to continue working and paying taxes, permitting the continuation of family life, education and community inclusion.

Joshua Rydell

Rydell is a Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney. He's also vice mayor of the city of Coconut Creek and is a former assistant public defender.

Joshua Rydell, vice-mayor the city of Coconut Creek. Courtesy photo. Joshua Rydell, vice mayor the city of Coconut Creek. Courtesy photo.

Why are you running for this position?

I'm running for state attorney in order to remake Broward County's criminal justice system in a way that is fair and equitable for everyone in our community regardless of race, financial status, sexual orientation, gender, mental health status or any consideration other than the facts pertinent to every individual's unique case. As a former assistant public defender and now a criminal defense attorney, I know from firsthand experience how broken our system is. As Broward County's next lawyer-in-chief, I will keep the community safe; restore faith that the office is just and fair to everyone; reform the system by providing alternatives to mass incarceration; reduce recidivism; stop the school-to-prison pipeline; and increase trust with the community. I'll prioritize substance abuse treatment over the criminalization of addiction; stop racially discriminatory sentencing practices; support community-based diversion along with re-entry programs; and increase transparency and data gathering.

As a city commissioner, I know the value of working closely with the community and with community organizations to develop good policy and find solutions to the problems we face. I intend to work together with city and county leaders, communities of faith, nonprofits, social welfare organizations and others in order to improve our criminal justice system.

What about your experience qualifies you for the position?

I am a former assistant public defender and now a criminal defense attorney. I am also the only candidate in this race who has never been a prosecutor, and I believe that is what is necessary to finally bring much needed change to this office. I know from firsthand experience how broken our criminal justice system is and I believe that my professional background makes me uniquely qualified to begin fixing it.

Outside of working as an attorney, I am also the only candidate in the Democratic primary who is an elected official. I have served on the Coconut Creek City Commission since 2015 and I'm currently my city's vice mayor. This means that I have experience managing large budgets and overseeing career-level staff (about 430 people work for the city of Coconut Creek). As an elected official, I understand the importance of following the Florida Sunshine Law and working to ensure complete transparency in government. My background gives me an informed perspective on the challenges we face and the sweeping changes we must make to address them.

What's your biggest achievement so far?

One of my biggest achievements to date comes during the time I have served on the Coconut Creek City Commission. The largest landfill In Broward County sits adjacent to the city of Coconut Creek. The landfill has continued to grow taller and taller, and expand wider and wider, despite numerous commitments to smarter and cleaner methods of processable waste disposable. The noxious fumes directly affect the lives of numerous surrounding residents. We were able to fight the landfill to enter into an agreement with the city of Coconut Creek to significantly limit all processable waste (the smelly garbage), as well as have an independent auditor checking all waste submitted to the landfill. This resolution was groundbreaking nationwide, as no such agreement had ever been entered into before. While I will always protect and fight for our environment, I must now turn to my passion in criminal justice to help fix a broken local system.

What would a successful term look like for you?

I will know that I have been successful if I am able to look back after four years in office and point to specific reforms which have been impactful toward bringing down our prison population, reducing recidivism, protecting our must vulnerable populations, stopping young offenders from ending up behind bars and increasing trust and accountability with the community. The numbers and statistics will be indicative of whether or not I have done a good job. Success will also be defined by the bridges that we are able to build with all Broward communities, in the pursuit of not just punishing crime but also attempting to fix its root causes.

What is the most important issue facing your county at the moment?

The most important issue facing the Broward State Attorney's Office and our fellow citizens whose lives are touched by its work is putting an end to the "culture of conviction," which prioritizes locking people up over ensuring true justice is carried out. Additionally, the lengths of sentencing in many cases—and, in some instances, even the outcomes of the cases—are marred by racial disparities, resulting in longer, harsher sentences for people of color. We must do better in order to ensure our criminal justice system treats everyone in our community with dignity, respect and equality.

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