Freitas sworn in as San Joaquin County District Attorney

Jan. 5—STOCKTON — As city, county and state offices open back up to begin 2023, new elected officials are already being sworn in to their offices.

Ron Freitas was sworn in as San Joaquin County District Attorney on Tuesday by Superior Court Presiding Judge Michael Coughlan in Department 3D of the San Joaquin County Superior Court in Stockton.

Freitas unseated Tori Verber Salazar in the June Primary Election, securing 54.53% of the vote.

"I am honored to serve the citizens of San Joaquin County as their 42nd District Attorney," said Freitas said in a media statement Wednesday.

"There is work to be done in order to ensure the safety of neighborhoods and communities in every corner of San Joaquin County," he said. "I look forward to the next six years and bringing common sense back to the criminal justice system in our county."

A career prosecutor, Freitas has risen through the ranks of the District Attorney's Office, serving as the Supervising Deputy District Attorney of the Gang Violence Suppression Unit, the Chief Deputy District Attorney of both the Homicide and Gang Divisions, and as Assistant District Attorney.

His goals for the administration include promoting public safety by removing career and violent offenders, fighting for victims through all stages of the criminal justice process, and providing early and effective intervention and education for juveniles and first-time offenders.

Throughout his more than 30-year career, Freitas tried numerous gang-related murders and violent felonies.

In San Joaquin County, he conducted the first scientific admissibility hearing to admit DNA evidence and tried the first two dual-jury trials.

He was the first to use a gang special circumstance to obtain a death sentence, and supervised the first gang-related wire surveillance operation in the county.

Freitas founded or co-founded several task forces in the District Attorney's Office, including the San Joaquin County Gang Violence Prosecution Task Force, the San Joaquin County Homicide Task Force, San Joaquin County Evidence Task Force, and the San Joaquin County Grand Jury Task Force.

As the Homicide Division Chief, he assisted in the investigation, charged, and supervised the prosecution of more than 150 murder trials, including the kidnap, rape and murder of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu in 2009, the Dalene Carlson kidnap and murder in 2011, and the Bank of the West robbery felony-murders of 2014.

In 2012, he successfully argued to the California Supreme Court that autopsy reports are not testimonial.

A native of Los Banos, Freitas earned a bachelor's degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and a master's degree from University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review.

He has lived in Lodi for three decades, he was appointed to the Lodi Unified School District Board of Education in 2012 and re-elected in 2016 and 2020.

During his time on the board, he served as president in the 2015-2016 and 2020-2021 academic school years.

Freitas was an active member of the San Joaquin County 2x2 Committee, and the Legislative Committee. He was a co-founder and co-chairman of the LUSD Board Safety Committee and was a member of the Superintendent's Budget Advisory Committee.

He currently serves on the California District Attorneys Association Board of Directors and was the California District Attorneys Association Instructor of the Year for 2017, as well as the San Joaquin County Probation Officers Court Employee of the Year for 2018.

In 2016, Freitas was president of the Yes on Measure U campaign committee in which voters approved the issuance of $280 million in bonds for new construction and renovations throughout Lodi Unified.

He is a Past President of the Giving Opportunities to Kids (GOT Kids) foundation which raises more than $50 thousand annually for needy children to attend science camp and have a fuller educational experience.

He was also a member of the California School Boards Association and the San Joaquin County School Boards Association.