Summary: District attorneys are the most powerful position in your local criminal and legal system and we choose who they are with a vote. L. Joy kicks-off her series "Who We Elect" which will highlight state and local positions which may appear further down your ballot. District Attorney Eric Gonzalez comes to the front of the class share his #FirstCivicAction and how he sees his role as the elected district attorney of Brooklyn, New York.<br> Our Guest<br> Eric Gonzalez made history in November 2017 when he became the first Latino District Attorney elected in New York State. He had been appointed Acting District Attorney by Governor Andrew Cuomo a year earlier following the tragic death of his predecessor, the late Ken Thompson, for whom Gonzalez had served as Chief Assistant District Attorney.<br> <br> DA Gonzalez began his legal career in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office upon his graduation from law school in 1995. Since his appointment to lead the office, DA Gonzalez has implemented his own trailblazing initiatives, including bail reform, a Young Adult Court, expansion of non-prosecution of marijuana possession, a pre-court diversion program for low-level drug offenders and a policy to reduce unfair immigration consequences in criminal cases. District Attorney Gonzalez launched a ground-breaking initiative known as Justice 2020, to help him carry out his vision of keeping Brooklyn safe and strengthening trust in our justice system by ensuring fairness and equal justice for all. Justice 2020 consists of a 17-point action plan – created by a committee of criminal justice reform experts, defense groups, service providers, law enforcement, formerly incarcerated individuals, clergy and community leaders – to make the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office a national model of what a progressive prosecutor’s office can be. This blueprint will transform the work of Gonzalez’s office by shifting toward preventative and accountability solutions with a track record of success, and away from over-reliance on criminal convictions and incarceration.
