Vote Victor for reform and justice

As a recent transplant to Thurston County and veteran juror, I was shocked in July when I found myself on a jury hearing the case of a 20-year-old whom Thurston County prosecutors deemed worthy of prosecution. The threat to civic order that justified disrupting the day of a couple dozen prospective jurors and tying up a judge, attorneys, witnesses and a courtroom for the duration of that day? Borrowing a friend’s car in which a police officer, upon searching the vehicle, found in the back seat a single small, sealed, legally-purchased packet containing a cannabis product belonging to the friend.

To run a courtroom for a day costs taxpayers thousands of dollars — comparable to what the defendant might have paid for a year of college tuition. And all for the offense of borrowing a car, resulting in temporary possession of a small quantity of a controlled substance they could have legally purchased by the time the case came to trial.

Prosecution without discretion wastes taxpayer money and undermines justice. The current prosecutor understandably touts his years in that office, but my own experience and further research reveal that he has failed to implement common well-known best practices that ensure fair, expedient and economical prosecution. Victor Minjares seeks to bring operation of the prosecutor’s office into the 21st century in service of enhanced public safety, justice, and wise use of taxpayer money. I encourage you to do your own research, then join me in supporting Victor for Prosecutor.