Steve and other criminal justice leaders in Shelby County
believe in a conviction review unit - something
Amy Weirich has adamantly opposed
(photo: Christine Tannous/The Commercial Appeal)
Steve is proud to support this movement
"to overcome systemic racism, poverty,
ecological devastation and the war economy."
Steve believes in working with law enforcement
to restore faith in the criminal justice system and bring justice back to Shelby County
Making Shelby County Safer & Fairer
Redirect resources from minor, nonviolent offenses to serious, violent offenses. Use DA’s discretion to seek, for nonviolent offenses, community-based alternatives to expensive, sometimes counterproductive long term prison sentences. Free up resources to target repeat violent offenders.
People not convicted of a crime should not languish in jail for no reason other than that they can’t afford cash bail. Use discretion to provide alternatives to pretrial detention for people not convicted of any crime. Where appropriate, avoid cash bail. Where bail is appropriate, ensure that the bail is affordable and particularized to the individual defendant’s financial circumstances. Where the defendant is either a flight risk or a danger to the community, deny bail outright.
Reduce transfer to adult court for young children and those accused of nonviolent crimes. Restore federal Department of Justice monitoring of Juvenile Court to correct racially disproportionate charging, detention, and sentencing.
Require prosecutors to provide the judge an estimate of the cost of incarceration at sentencing.
Develop real, regularly used community-based interventions for property crimes, where victims can participate in arranging for restitution.
Establish Conviction Integrity Unit, as used in Nashville DA, to review prior cases for possible errors, wrongful convictions, etc.
Support expansion of Juvenile Court jurisdiction to age 25, due to modern science on teen brain development.reduce transfer to adult court for young children and those accused of nonviolent crimes. Restore federal Department of Justice monitoring of Juvenile Court to correct racially disproportionate charging, detention, and sentencing.
Support passage of a state “red flag” law, allowing court orders to temporarily take away guns from persons judicially deemed dangerous due to domestic violence incidents, mental health issues, etc.
Support hiring more law enforcement officers, paying them better, and training them better to get the best law enforcement we can. This includes Implicit Bias training to address racial profiling; Deescalation training to address excessive force; and Search & Seizure training to protect people's privacy.