Mr. DA:
Congratulations on your new position. Now to the task at hand and out of respect for you, I’ll be blunt and to the point.
You seem to be striking all the proper notes on the need for reform of Mecklenburg’s district attorney’s office. Over the years Meck Deck has documented — virtually alone at times — the farcical punishments violent repeat offenders receive in Mecklenburg County courtrooms. Property crime, meanwhile, has essentially become a civil matter.
You, of course, know this. Have known this — just like every other smart, engaged member of the local legal community. To someone like me this suggests the obvious question: Why? How did we come to have the judicial system we have in Mecklenburg County?
You have outlined procedural reforms that while welcomed, can only be considered basic common sense. Where are the structural and actual cultural reforms that will invert our local court system so that the protection of law-abiding citizens is viewed as a primary goal of a criminal justice system worthy of the name?
Are you prepared to publicly name — up to and including filing complaints with the judicial standards commission — Mecklenburg County’s incompetent judges and detail their errors and mistakes? If not, why not? Will you discuss candidly and openly the pressures placed on you by powerful members of the local legal and political community to be lenient in the prosecution of young repeat offenders in Mecklenburg County? That would be a culture change, one that is long overdue in clubby, secretive Charlotte.
Common sense can only take us so far — and at this late date it is not far enough. We also need transparency and accountability. Thankfully we live in an age where technology can easily aid both. Here’s a concrete example.
The Mecklenburg County jail web site used to list the addresses of those booked into the jail — an invaluable datum for citizens trying to keep track of criminal activity in their communities. As you may know, the jail stopped posting this information within weeks of the third DWI arrest of the son of a high-ranking Mecklenburg County official.
Although I understand the jail is under the control of the sheriff’s office, I hope you’ll take the opportunity created by your new position to demonstrate your commitment to the fullest possible disclosure of criminal justice info by calling for the restoration of the deleted info.
Thanks for your time and attention, and thank you for your service to our country and our community. Best of luck. You’re gonna need it.
Jeff A. Taylor
Charlotte, NC
