The Buncombe County District Attorney's Office envisions a community where public safety and justice are not predetermined by socio-economic status, national origin, religion, gender, or race. As prosecutors we prioritize fairness, justice, integrity, public safety, and equity. We acknowledge a history of racial and socio-economic inequity that has harmed our community and pledge to work to eradicate racism and implicit bias in our work.  We are committed to the exercise of prosecutorial discretion based solely on objective facts in the interests of justice.

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We pledge our commitment to this statement by working to:

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• reduce the impact of policies that sustain racial and socio-economic disparities in our criminal justice system;

• ensure that all victims of crime are treated with dignity and respect; 

• ensure that all qualified jurors have an equal opportunity to serve regardless of race, gender, socio-economic status, national origin, or religion;

• reduce disparities in our local jail while we strive to enhance and preserve public safety;

• ensure broad non-discriminatory access and referral opportunities in appropriate cases to criminal justice diversionary and treatment programs;

• create new opportunities and programming to ensure that more justice-involved persons have access to recovery, job training, and a pathway to well-being.  

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Published February 5, 2020; last updated June 8, 2020