Statement from the Dean Johansson for Yolo DA Campaign

Recently the DA’s office put out a press release stating that they may soon start doing what what we’ve been advocating for since this campaign began…voluntarily reducing or dismissing convictions for marijuana-related offenses.

In response Dean made the following statement

“Although this announcement is clearly politically motivated — and it is unclear whether the DA is exceeding or merely fulfilling his duties under Proposition 64 — I sincerely hope that the DA keeps his promise to help these individuals get their lives back. I’m also proud that our grassroots campaign is already having an impact and changing the conversation about drug enforcement in our county.

“If the current DA is truly committed to restoring justice I would urge him to be transparent about the harm that his past policies have caused. We all know that the war on drugs has disproportionately harmed communities of color, yet the DA’s office claims they do not track drug cases by race or ethnicity. The DA should also explain his past decisions to target medical marijuana growers. Did he truly believe that this was in the public interest and a wise use of our resources?”

The DA’s press release also claims that the District Attorney’s office has adopted “progressive” practices on Marijuana enforcement, but does not mention the office’s record of using extreme enforcement tactics against medical marijuana growers who have clearly made proactive, good faith efforts to comply with the letter of the state’s (complicated) marijuana laws.

Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor likened the aggressive tactics of drug enforcement officers, who conducted four raids in 2016 under the direction of the DA, to “terrorist activity” when speaking to the LA times in early 2017.

The DA’s press release also fails to acknowledge how past drug enforcement efforts may have contributed to racial disparities in Yolo County’s justice system. In an interview with The Sacramento Bee, Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Raven indicated, simply, that the office does not collect data related to the race or ethnicity of those charged with crimes.

The people of Yolo County deserve better. It’s time for a DA who shares our values.