Candidate Profile: Karen McDonald For Oakland County Prosecutor

Karen McDonald, a Birmingham resident is running for Oakland County Prosecutor.

Age: 50
Party affiliation: Democratic Party
Family:I am a mom of five children—two biological and three stepchildren. As a blended family that celebrates both Jewish and Christian holidays, we have raised our kids to appreciate multiple cultures, experiences, and backgrounds.
Occupation:High School English Teacher (1992-1995)
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney (1999-2004)
Oakland County Circuit Court Judge (2012-2019)
Private Practice Attorney (2004-2013, 2019-Present)
Previous elected experience:I was elected to the Oakland County Circuit Court in 2012 and re-elected in 2019, where I served as a judge until stepping down from the bench to run for Oakland County Prosecutor.
Family members in government:No
Campaign website: https://www.mcdonaldforprosecutor.com

The single most pressing issue facing our state is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.
Common-sense criminal justice reform, a movement that has seen extensive bipartisan support across the state. As Prosecutor, I will commit to building a transparent, accountable Prosecutor’s Office, reforming our cash bail system, holding youth accountable without unnecessary incarceration, establishing a functioning Hate Crimes Unit and Conviction Integrity Unit, and giving assistant prosecutors discretion to reduce or amend charges. I will also invest and participate in treatment courts and diversion programs for low-level, nonviolent offenders and establish new mental health programs so that all Oakland County residents can receive the treatment and resources they need to succeed.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
The role of the Prosecutor is to seek justice and protect the communities they serve. My opponent advocates for a hardline “law and order” approach, but keeping people safe is about more than just pursuing maximum sentences and filling jail cells. Yes, the Prosecutor must ensure that violent criminals and those who pose a threat to society are kept off the streets, but they must also learn to use their discretion to determine when incarceration is necessary and when diversion programs or treatment-based alternatives are more appropriate. Where my opponent ignores racial disparity and inequality within the system, I am committed to working with law enforcement and elected officials to create a fair and just system that ensures all members of the community— regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation— are treated with equal respect under the law.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I have served our community as a Circuit Court Judge (2012-2019), private practice attorney specializing in civil and family law (2004-2013), assistant prosecutor prosecuting child sexual assault with a 100% conviction rate (1999-2004), and public high school English teacher (1992-1995). In my time as a judge, I received both the Oakland County Domestic Violence Prevention Award and the Joan E. Young Champion of Children Award for my work protecting Oakland County families and creating and implementing a comprehensive domestic violence training program for court staff and employees. This extensive experience interacting with the justice system from every angle uniquely qualifies me to run the Prosecutor’s Office, and I will use my experience to protect families and combat the heightened number of domestic violence cases resulting from the coronavirus while being smart on crime.

What steps should state government take to bolster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for local businesses?
Now more than ever, government officials must learn to collaborate and work together for the good of their communities. I have been endorsed by a bipartisan coalition of over twenty elected officials, along with The Detroit News and Downtown Newsmagazine in the General Election and The Detroit Free Press in the Primary. Once elected, I will work with these state and local leaders across party lines to participate in treatment courts and implement common-sense reform policies that allow people to keep their jobs, housing, and families while seeking treatment; create new part-time and job share opportunities in the Prosecutor’s Office; and use a science-based approach to limit the spread of COVID-19 and protect our communities and local businesses.

How will you address the calls for racial justice and police reform?
Once elected, I will reduce mass incarceration, address racial disparity in Oakland County, and support policies that protect and uplift our immigrant communities. As Prosecutor I will implement a functioning Hate Crimes Unit and eliminate cash bail, which inordinately affects poor people and people of color, work with local law enforcement and the Attorney General’s Office to ensure that all police officers and court staff receive necessary bias and non-violence training, and see that any officers who display troubling behavior are recorded, held accountable, and barred from serving as witnesses.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:
As Prosecutor, I will reduce mass incarceration and address racial disparity in Oakland County by building a transparent, accountable Prosecutor’s Office, eliminating cash bail, holding youth accountable without unnecessary incarceration, establishing a functioning Hate Crimes Unit and Conviction Integrity Unit, working with law enforcement to restore trust between police and communities, and giving assistant prosecutors discretion to reduce or amend charges. I will also invest and participate in treatment courts and diversion programs for low-level, nonviolent offenders and establish new mental health programs so that all Oakland County residents can receive the treatment and resources they need to succeed.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
My campaign has received overwhelming bipartisan support from state and local leaders, community members, unions, and organizations, because Oakland County residents across party lines recognize the need for a change. My campaign includes endorsements from leaders like Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel, and Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II; Senators Rosemary Bayer and Mallory McMorrow; House Democratic Leader Christine Greig and Representatives Elissa Slotkin, Kyra Bolden, Jim Ellison, Brenda Carter, and Mari Manoogian; Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, Ingham County Prosecutor Carol Siemon, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting, and Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson.
In addition to these individuals, I am also endorsed by over twenty organizations like The Detroit News and The Detroit Free Press, the Oakland County Democratic Party, Planned Parenthood, the Michigan Democratic Party Black Caucus and the Oakland County Democratic Black Caucus, the Arab American Political Action Committee, and Michigan’s 14th District Democratic Party; and twenty-one community leaders and local officeholders, including Southfield Precinct Delegate Millie Hall, Pontiac Mayor Deirdre Waterman, Novi Mayor Bob Gatt, and Founder of Fems for Dems Lori Goldman.
My campaign has also received overwhelming union support, with endorsements from over twenty unions like The Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights; The Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council; Painters and Allied Trades District Council 1M; the UAW; Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 2 of Michigan; SEIU Healthcare Michigan; LIUNA Local 1076; AFSCME Council 25; the Michigan Education Association, Working Families Party, Metro Detroit AFL-CIO, IBEW Local 58, and many others.

This article originally appeared on the Birmingham Patch