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County attorney expands anti‑trafficking, cold‑case and diversion work while urging investment in alternatives to incarceration
Summary
County Attorney Ammon Barker briefed the Board of Supervisors on an expanded anti‑trafficking task force, a cold‑case prosecutorial unit, a proactive marijuana‑expungement service and a pathways diversion program, and urged the board to prioritize staffing for alternative‑prosecution capacity in the FY budget.
County Attorney Ammon Barker told the Board of Supervisors his office has pushed multiple programmatic changes to prioritize prevention, survivor services and alternatives to incarceration while keeping capacity to prosecute serious violent crimes.
“Not only do we want justice; we want to empower our community to thrive,” Barker said. “That means pursuing justice and creating treatment and diversion pathways when appropriate.”
Key programs described:
- North Star Task Force (anti‑trafficking): Barker said local law enforcement, survivor groups and prosecutors formed a survivor‑informed regional task force (STAR: Survivor‑informed Trafficking Awareness and Response). Task-force operations resulted in a targeted sting that produced dozens of arrests and is expanding collaboration with victim‑service providers. Local shelter and survivor‑led groups, including Applejack’s Ranch and Northland Family Help Center, were cited as partners.
- Cold‑case unit: A prosecutors’ team led by Jonathan Mosier is reviewing long‑unsolved violent cases and coordinating forensic follow‑up with partner agencies; Barker said that renewed attention has already led to active prosecutions in cases two to four decades old.
- Pathways diversion and other alternative prosecution programs: Barker described the office’s Pathways diversion program for certain nonviolent offenders, which offers treatment in lieu of formal prosecution; the office reported roughly a 64% graduation rate for Pathways participants and increasing enrollments. Barker argued for staffing that would allow the program to scale without drawing the same single person across multiple specialty-court calendars.
- Prop 207 / marijuana expungements: The county attorney’s office launched a proactive Prop 207 expungement process; Barker said dozens of petition grants had been completed since the program started, and the office is accepting online petitions to lift records for qualifying marijuana offenses.
Why the county attorney asked for funds: Barker described several incremental resource requests and priorities the office submitted in the budget cycle: modest general‑fund operating increases to cover trial and witness costs; one‑time outside‑counsel money to handle specialty civil matters while the office grows its civil capacity; and targeted staffing for diversion and anti‑trafficking work. Barker told supervisors his top priority (if only one addition were possible) would be expanded alternative‑prosecution capacity so Pathways and related programs can scale without overburdening a single staff member.
Prosecution work continues: Barker and his team listed a number of recent major prosecutions that resulted in felony convictions and multiyear prison terms for violent and firearm offenses; he emphasized that building diversion and prevention capacity does not reduce the office’s obligation to prosecute serious violent crime.
Ending: Barker urged supervisors to weigh one‑time and recurring priorities in the final budget deliberations, and he committed to providing follow‑up fiscal detail and program metrics as requested.
