District Attorney Suzanne Valdez emphasizes importance of independent elected prosecutors; embraces opportunity to publicly address complaint

March 26, 2021 was my 75th day in office as Douglas County District Attorney. It was also the day the Office of the Disciplinary Administrator, an arm of the Judicial Branch, sent out notice that Judge James McCabria had made a disciplinary complaint against me.

The time of Judge McCabria’s complaint was also one of great uncertainty and chaos as I attempted to get my feet under me in the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Importantly, I was transitioning into my administration following a 16-year run by the previous District Attorney. Regardless, the District Court determined that jury trials would resume at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. I commented publicly regarding my lack of input on this important decision and the public safety concerns associated with holding jury trials during a global pandemic. I only learned of the District Court’s decision to go forward with jury trials through local media reports. Despite my concerns about proceeding with jury trials in this manner, I and other members of my office participated in each trial held at the Douglas County Fairgrounds per the District Court’s directive.

During the chaos of the global pandemic, through great ingenuity and perseverance the people of my office managed to work through the COVID-19 backlog of cases. As chronicled in our 2021 and 2022 Annual Reports, I have held true to implementing the programming and initiatives I promised during my 2020 campaign for Douglas County District Attorney.

August 14, 2023 marked my 946th day in office. It was also the day I finally received formal notice of the allegations lodged against me by the Office of the Disciplinary Administrator - nearly two and half years after Judge McCabria’s initial complaint. This matter is certainly one of public interest, and I embrace the opportunity to finally provide context to these allegations in my own voice and in a very public manner.

In the days that follow, I will be filing my response to the complaint, as well as other pleadings. My filings will be robust, thorough, and will add context to the events precipitating these proceedings.

I remain fully committed to serving this community as a truly independent official of the Executive Branch working hard daily with my DA team to hold violent offenders accountable, to provide alternatives to incarceration when appropriate, and to seek justice for all victims of crime.