Community leaders to propose changes to improve transparency, fairness, and diversion
CANDIDATES COMMITTED TO ATTEND
Jeff Nieman
Kayley Taber
Who: Hosted by Orange County Justice United and the NC Congress of Latino Organizations
Co-sponsored by:
Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP's Criminal Justice Committee
Orange County Bail/Bond Justice Project
Inter-Faith Council for Social Services
Kehillah Synagogue
Binkley Baptist Church
When: Tuesday, April 26, 7-8:30 pm
Where: Hybrid format
In-person location: Piney Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 1929 Piney Grove Church Rd., Hillsborough, NC 27278
(Assembly will be outside, under a tent, for additional COVID-19 precaution.)
RSVP for virtual option here: https://www.ocjusticeunited.org/district_attorney_candidates_assembly_april_26
HILLSBOROUGH, NC -- Nonprofit groups Orange County Justice United and the NC Congress of Latino Organizations will host a nonpartisan Orange-Chatham (District 15B) District Attorney Candidates' Assembly, co-sponsored by community partners, to build public relationships of accountability with candidates Jeff Nieman and Kayley Taber.
Co-sponsoring community partners are the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP's Criminal Justice Committee, the Orange County Bail/Bond Justice Project, the Inter-Faith Council for Social Services, Kehillah Synagogue, and Binkley Baptist Church.
Both candidates will be asked to make specific commitments to: increase transparency and consistency in the DA office, reduce mass incarceration and involvement with the justice system through increased diversion, and implement policies to end racially biased and wealth-based pretrial detention.
Candidates also will be asked to continue the agreement made by outgoing DA Jim Woodall to offer a deferral program, in place of prosecution, for otherwise safe drivers who cannot obtain a license. Candidates will have the opportunity to share their vision for increasing transparency and fairness in the DA office, if elected. Because both candidates for DA are running as Democrats, the winner of the May 17 primary election will effectively be the new Orange-Chatham DA.
Speakers will include community members with direct experience in the justice system, as well as representatives from the Success While In Transition reentry support program, the Reentry House Plus, Inc., and the Orange County Bail/Bond Justice Project.
With the DA Candidates’ Assembly just two days before the start of Early Voting, Orange County Justice United and NC Latino Congress members and community partners will also announce during the Assembly their own commitments for a nonpartisan Get Out The Vote effort to provide voter education to at least 1,000 residents who pledge to vote.
The proposals to be presented to the DA Candidates are available at https://assets.nationbuilder.com/ocjusticeunited/pages/2002/attachments/original/1648746889/District_Attorney_Assembly_Proposals.pdf.