top of page
A COUNTY ATTORNEY is an elected official who serves as your county’s top prosecutor. County attorneys are the most powerful actors in the criminal justice system.
They decide who goes to prison and for how long. For years, county attorneys in Maricopa County have fueled growth in the prison population and supported policies that have devastated families and communities.
A REFORM-MINDED COUNTY ATTORNEY can turn the tide by making a commitment to work in the interest of people, not prisons.
The ACLU of Arizona does not endorse or oppose candidates running for office.
2022 MCAO Candidates
CANDIDATE POSITIONS ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
The ACLU of Arizona campaign for Smart Justice asked each candidate to complete a questionnaire explaining their position on criminal justice reform issues. Below are excerpts from each candidate’s response, unless otherwise noted.
Question
Will you exercise your prosecutorial discretion to not prosecute providers in abortion-related cases?
YES
"I am committed to upholding each and every Arizonans’ reproductive rights. I will use prosecutorial discretion to ensure individuals procuring an abortion or doctors administering an abortion are not prosecuted."
JULIE GUNNIGLE
REFUSED TO ANSWER
Rachel Mitchell did not respond to the Smart Justice Candidate questionnaire, but has publicly stated that she could prosecute abortion providers.
“If it's decided that there is a total ban against providers providing abortion, we still have to look at each individual case. We still are going to look at [if there is] a reasonable likelihood of conviction.”
Source:
-
“Rachel Mitchell weighs in on the past and future of abortion in Arizona,” 12 News, Phoenix, June 26, 2022
1
RACHEL MITCHELL
Question
Will you proactively seek the expungement of criminal records for marijuana offenses legalized by Prop 207?
YES
JULIE GUNNIGLE
REFUSED TO ANSWER
Rachel Mitchell did not respond to the Smart Justice Arizona candidate questionnaire.
RACHEL MITCHELL
Question
Will you commit to maintaining or expanding transparency by making MCAO’s data and policies available to the public?
YES
JULIE GUNNIGLE
REFUSED TO ANSWER
Rachel Mitchell did not respond to the Smart Justice Arizona candidate questionnaire.
RACHEL MITCHELL
"I plan on utilizing data from our sentencing to create a transparent data dashboard and allow the data to be disaggregated for use by academics and others studying criminal legal reform."
Question
Do you pledge to address the racial disparities in Maricopa County’s criminal justice system?
YES
"It’s time to end the two tiered system of justice where Arizonans of color routinely face longer and harsher sentencing than their white counterparts. The MCAO needs to ensure that every person is treated equally in our criminal legal system."
JULIE GUNNIGLE
REFUSED TO ANSWER
Rachel Mitchell did not respond to the Smart Justice Arizona candidate questionnaire.
RACHEL MITCHELL
Question
Will you commit to adopting policies that safely reduce Arizona’s imprisonment rate?
YES
"I will work to increase diversion, treat kids like kids, treat mental illness and addiction as a public health crisis, and stop the overcharging that has become commonplace in the MCAO. My goal is to bring our incarceration rate down to the national average, in line with states like Utah to save taxpayers money."
JULIE GUNNIGLE
REFUSED TO ANSWER
Rachel Mitchell did not respond to the Smart Justice Arizona candidate questionnaire.
RACHEL MITCHELL
DOWNLOAD EACH CANDIDATE'S FULL QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSE
Rachel Mitchell did not respond to the Smart Justice Arizona candidate questionnaire.
Wed, Apr 26Virtual event on ZoomApr 26, 2023, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM MSTVirtual event on Zoom
Sat, Apr 22Address available upon registrationApr 22, 2023, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PMAddress available upon registration, Phoenix, AZ, USAApr 22, 2023, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PMAddress available upon registration, Phoenix, AZ, USAYour personal experiences have the power to affect meaningful change! Join our upcoming storytelling workshop to learn how to share your story in a way that inspires others to take get involved and take action.
Tue, Apr 11Arizona State CapitolApr 11, 2023, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM MSTArizona State Capitol, 1700 W Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85007, USA
Wed, Feb 15PhoenixFeb 15, 2023, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM MSTPhoenix, 1700 W. Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85007, USA
Sat, Nov 05Meeting location will be emailedNov 05, 2022, 2:00 PM – 6:00 PMMeeting location will be emailed, Tempe, AZ, USA- Sat, Nov 05Meeting location will be emailedNov 05, 2022, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PMMeeting location will be emailed, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Fri, Nov 04Roosevelt RowNov 04, 2022, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PMRoosevelt Row, 922 N 5th St, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Sat, Oct 29Encanto ParkOct 29, 2022, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PMEncanto Park, 2605 N 15th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007, USA
Fri, Oct 21Arizona Wilderness Gilbert BrewpubOct 21, 2022, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM MSTArizona Wilderness Gilbert Brewpub, 721 N Arizona Ave, Gilbert, AZ 85233
Wed, Oct 12Arizona Wilderness DTPHXOct 12, 2022, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM MSTArizona Wilderness DTPHX, 201 E Roosevelt St, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Tue, Sep 27Sun City GrandSep 27, 2022, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM MSTSun City Grand, 19753 N Remington Dr, Surprise, AZ 85374, Sonora Room- Tue, Sep 27Sun City GrandSep 27, 2022, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM MSTSun City Grand, 19753 N Remington Dr, Surprise, AZ 85374, Sonora Room
- Tue, Aug 23Manuel's Mexican Restaurant & CantinaAug 23, 2022, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM MSTManuel's Mexican Restaurant & Cantina, 5670 W Peoria Ave, Glendale, AZ 85302
- Tue, Aug 16Floridino's Pizza and PastaAug 16, 2022, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM MSTFloridino's Pizza and Pasta, 590 N Alma School Rd unit 35, Chandler, AZ 85224, USA
- Thu, Apr 28Online EventApr 28, 2022, 6:00 PM – Apr 29, 2022, 6:00 PMOnline Event
UPCOMING EVENTS
ELECTION DATES AND DEADLINES
Last day to register to vote - October 11, 2022
Ballots mailed, voting locations and drop boxes available - October 12, 2022
Last day to request a ballot in the mail - October 28, 2022
Last day to mail back your ballot - November 1, 2022
General Election - November 8, 2022
2022 Election Information
PAID FOR BY ACLU OF ARIZONA, INC.
NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE.
bottom of page