What does a district attorney do?

What this office controls

• Decides whether to charge a case, what to charge, and whether to drop it.
• Negotiates plea agreements, which resolve the large majority of criminal cases.
• Sets office-wide charging policy — for example on low-level drug offenses or cash bail requests.
• Directs which cases go to a grand jury.

What it can’t do

Just as important, and the source of most misplaced expectations about the job:

• Cannot make an arrest — that is law enforcement.
• Cannot impose a sentence — a judge does, within ranges the legislature sets.
• Cannot change the criminal code.

Why this race matters

Prosecutorial discretion is the single largest driver of who ends up in the criminal justice system. A district attorney's charging policy affects far more people than most legislation, and these races are frequently uncontested.

What to look for in a candidate

• Trial and prosecutorial experience.
• Stated charging priorities and diversion programs.
• Case backlog and conviction data, where published.
• Record on police accountability cases.
• Transparency practices of the office.