District Attorney’s Message
The San Diego County District Attorney's Office maintained a 94 percent felony conviction rate in 2008, one of the highest among all counties in California. The 1,000 dedicated professionals in our office are dedicated to pursuing justice in dozens of courtrooms around the county on a daily basis. Over the last year, our office issued more than 45,000 cases. At the same time, our mission is to protect the community by working to prevent crime. During 2008, we did both with a renewed sense of purpose.
Among the accomplishments by our office during the year:
- The DA’s Office worked with the Drug Enforcement Administration on an extensive undercover drug operation on the San Diego State University campus resulting in the arrest of 125 individuals, including 75 students selling or buying cocaine, marijuana, or ecstasy. The operation garnered international media coverage and focused the public’s attention on the problem of illegal drug sales and use on college campuses.
- The DA’s Office took part in two undercover narcotics operations targeting gang members in Southeast San Diego resulting in drug-related charges being filed against 82 defendants.
- Our check enforcement program hit a milestone, recovering $1.5 million in bad checks. The program provides assistance to local merchants in recovering money lost to bad checks, prosecution of check offenders and training programs.
- The DA’s Office worked to break up an extensive real estate fraud scheme that promised foreclosure help but instead victimized hundreds of homeowners in San Diego County. Five suspects were charged with conspiracy, grand theft, and deceitful practices as foreclosure consultants.
- The DA’s Office worked with the California Attorney General during a four-year investigation that resulted in a $1.4 million judgment against retail giant Wal-mart. The store was accused of charging customers more than the advertised or posted price on items when they were scanned at check-out counters.
- Our office worked to increase cooperation with Mexican officials to return more abducted children to their parents in the U.S. and Mexico. The DA’s Office co-sponsored an international conference on child abduction. During 2008, our child abduction unit helped recover 93 children from around the world.
- The DA’s Office co-sponsored an historic summit to combat gang violence in the county. California’s “gang czar” addressed more than 200 people representing law enforcement, government agencies, faith-based groups, and community organizations.
- Our office compiled and released new statistics drawing attention to the number of cold-case homicides and the need for more resources to solve them. Statewide, there are more than 24,000 unsolved homicides committed in a ten-year period, in San Diego County there are some 1,200 unsolved homicides in that same time frame. The DA’s Office has a specialized division committed to solving and prosecuting cold cases.
- Our office, in cooperation with the County Office of Aging and Independence Services, reached out to San Diego’s faith-based community during a first-of-its kind consumer lunch. The DA’s Office provided advice, publications and speakers to help keep congregations from becoming victims of charity scams, identity theft, elder abuse, and real estate fraud.
- The DA’s Office received a prestigious 2008 Workplace Excellence Award as one of San Diego’s most outstanding places to work. Citing employee communication, quality of life programs, and a focus on staying healthy, the DA’s Employee Relations Department was singled out among 130 nominees.
- The DA’s Office was honored by the National Association of Counties (NACo) for a model program that allows first-time public assistance fraud defendants to avoid criminal conviction, but still pay full restitution to taxpayers. The program saves taxpayer money and allows prosecutors to focus on more serious cases of fraud.
- The DA’s Office was honored for its Diversity Pipeline Project, aimed at recruiting minorities to careers in the criminal justice field.
As the U.S. economy worsened, our office also began looking for ways to address the recession but maintain public safety. As it became clear that a large portion of the District Attorney’s budget funded by state sales and property taxes was decreasing, we focused on how to work smarter and work harder.
In the coming year, we face extraordinary fiscal challenges, but we will not waver from our responsibility to protect public safety through the vigorous enforcement of the law.
Bonnie M. Dumanis
San Diego County District Attorney
