I will not apologize for holding a New York murder suspect in Arizona

As a 31-year prosecutor who spent 25 of those years prosecuting crimes against children and sexual assault, I stand by my decision to delay the extradition of accused murderer and attempted rapist Raad Almansoori to New York.

Yet, there are those who have, without any evidence or knowledge of Arizona law, attributed my decision to “political grandstanding.”

Here are the facts: Almansoori, who is presumed innocent until proven guilty, is accused of brutally stabbing two women in Maricopa County with the intent of raping and killing them.

He pointed what turned out to be a BB gun at them before stabbing them, then told police that he wanted to kill his family, an Uber driver and other women because women did not like him.

Excellent work by Phoenix, Surprise and Scottsdale police departments led to his arrest.

They don't get Arizona extradition law

My office successfully fought in court to have him held without bond, then successfully sought an indictment for eight counts, including attempted first-degree murder and attempted sexual assault.

Each carries a lengthy prison sentence.

Yet, in an op-ed for The Arizona Republic, three people who average fewer than seven years’ experience as prosecutors breathlessly argued that I am somehow interfering with the course of justice by keeping Almansoori in Arizona to be prosecuted here first.

They clearly misunderstand Arizona’s extradition law.

The fact that there are charges actively being prosecuted here is key. Under Arizona law, if the county attorney here does not agree to drop the charges, Almansoori cannot be extradited until he is sentenced.

That’s not a matter of debate. That is the law.

Bragg has made questionable charging decisions

Not surprisingly, the authors of the attack on me and my office work for the progressive Brennan Center for Justice, which advocates for, among other things, mass de-carceration and the elimination of cash bail.

While rushing to the defense of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, these activists seem to be under the impression that Arizonans are unfamiliar with Bragg.

Those of us who live here know better.

We watch the media reports that depict a city, one to which I used to love to travel, become a hot mess. We know about Bragg charging a bodega owner with murder for defending himself against an attacker, and releasing illegal immigrants whose recent beating of NYPD officers was caught on video.

Arizonans also saw the viral video of a teenager repeatedly punching an NYPD officer, putting him in a chokehold, and slamming him into a metal gate only to have Bragg’s office recommend release without bond.

Why Mitchell may be: Arizona's savviest politician

We learned that just three days earlier, the same teen had been arrested and released for beating and robbing a stranger.

I will send Almansoori once he's sentenced

Any statistics cited by Bragg are hollow simply because we have no way to know how many defendants facing charges of violent crime were released, charged with lesser offenses or never prosecuted at all.

Of course, the authors of the Brennan op-ed could not know about the hundreds of emails and letters from New Yorkers that have inundated my office, nearly all of which applaud my decision and share my concern that this defendant would not be held accountable there.

My heart goes out to the loved ones of the homicide victim in NYC, Denisse Oleas-Arancibia.

Please be assured that once Almansoori is sentenced here, he will be sent to New York. I sincerely hope that he receives justice there.

Yet we cannot forget there are two victims here in Arizona whose lives were profoundly impacted.

I took an oath to uphold the law, and that is precisely what I am doing.

Until the Arizona victims receive justice, I stand by my decision and will never apologize for protecting the residents of Maricopa County.

Rachel Mitchell, a Republican, is Maricopa County Attorney. Reach her at MaricopaCountyAttorney@mcao.maricopa.gov.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rachel Mitchell will not apologize for keeping New York murder suspect