Bonnie Dumanis
| Bonnie M. Dumanis | |
|---|---|
| San Diego County District Attorney | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 2003 |
|
| Preceded by | Paul Pfingst |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 16, 1951 Brokton United States |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | San Diego |
| Alma mater | University of Massachusetts Amherst Western State University College of Law |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Website | [1] |
Bonnie M. Dumanis (born December 16, 1951, Brockton, Massachusetts) is currently the District Attorney of San Diego County. Dumanis has been the District Attorney since 2003, when she defeated incumbent Paul Pfingst.[1] Dumanis is currently running for Mayor of San Diego.[2]
Dumanis, a Republican, is the first openly gay or lesbian DA in the country.[3] She is the first Jewish woman to hold the post of District Attorney in San Diego.[4]
Contents |
[edit] Education and Career
Dumanis received a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She received her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Western State University College of Law (now Thomas Jefferson School of Law) in 1976,[5][6] and was admitted to the bar in 1977. Her first job as a junior typist in San Diego County as she studied law at night. Following admission, she served as a Deputy District Attorney from 1978 to 1990. In 1994, Dumanis was elected to the Municipal Court where she would serve for four years and started the first Drug Courts in San Diego. In 1998, Dumanis was elected to the San Diego Superior Court where she started, a program called Domestic Violence Court to reduce reoccurrences by perpetrators.[1]
[edit] Initiatives
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2011) |
Dumanis's office helped write and fought to pass:
- California's Proposition 83 (aka "Jessica's Law"), which tightens restrictions on sexually-violent predators and child molesters.
- Chelsea's Law – which increases penalties for sex offenders.
- California's Proposition 69 – which increases the use of DNA to solve crimes.
- SB618 (aka Prisoner Reform Program) which will offer non-violent prisoners job training, treatment and services to keep them from committing crimes after released.
[edit] Community Partner, Volunteer and Awards
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2011) |
- California State Bar Board of Governors, served
- California District Attorneys Association, Past President
- National District Attorneys Association, Board
- California Peace Officers Standards and Training, Commissioner
- San Diego County Police Chiefs and Sheriff's Association, Member
- Lawyers Club of San Diego, Past President
- San Diego Bar Association, Board of Directors
- University Of San Diego School Of Law, taught Ethics
- MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), Advisory Board
- Second Chance, Advisory Board
- Chelsea's Light Foundation, Advisory Board.
[edit] Cases
[edit] People v. John Albert Gardner
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2011) |
John Albert Gardner III (born April 9, 1979) is an American convicted double murderer and sex offender. He confessed to the rape and murder of 14-year-old Amber Dubois from Escondido, California, the February 2010 rape and murder of 17-year-old Chelsea King from Poway, California, not far from Gardner's mother's home, where he lived, in the Rancho Bernardo community. Additionally, Gardner attempted to rape Candice Moncayo of San Diego County, and had been previously incarcerated for the molestation of a 13-year-old girl.
[edit] D.C. v. Heller
Dumanis has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a ban on handguns in Washington, D.C. Dumanis participated in an amicus curiae brief in the case D.C. v. Heller pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, supporting the District of Columbia's ban on keeping functional firearms in the home for self defense, and on the possession of handguns.[7][8][9]
[edit] Cynthia Sommer
In April, 2008, a woman accused and convicted by Dumanis's office of murder, was released, after two plus years of incarceration. Cynthia Sommer was convicted of fatally poisoning her Miramar Marine husband with arsenic. Charges were dropped on reasonable doubt after conclusions reached by toxicology experts during a review, prompted by the defense, of the evidence used for trial and conviction. Dumanis said her office acted based on available evidence, when it charged Sommer with murder in March 2006 and tried her in January 2007.[10]
[edit] Operation Endless Summer (Green Rx) Conflict between Federal, State and Local Laws on the use of Marijuana
In February 2009, the District Attorney's office filed charges against 33 individuals charged in a drug investigation called Endless Summer. In a press conference for the operation DA Dumanis said the investigation was to protect military housing. The local news also ran the DA's story.[11] After further investigation it was revealed that fourteen of those arrested are medical marijuana patients who were the initial target of the investigation named Green RX. A number of those charged were shown not to have any ties to the military, as had been claimed by Dumanis' office.[12]
Since that time at least two of the 14 medical marijuana defendants have been acquitted by juries, further calling into question her investigation.[13][14]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Wilkens, John (2003-01-05). "Her path to success". Sign On San Diego. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20030105-9999_1n5duman-jmp.html. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
- ^ "Dumains picks up two more endorsements". 2011-11-14.
- ^ Broder, John M. (2002-11-13). "In a First, a Lesbian Is Elected District Attorney in San Diego". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9507E1D91E31F930A25752C1A9649C8B63. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
- ^ Lantry, Jim (2003-01-17). "Three Jews Sworn Into County Office". San Diego Jewish Press-Heritage. http://www.jewishsightseeing.com/louis_rose_historical/honorees/kolender_bill_articles/2003-01-17-kolender_smith-dumanis.htm. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
- ^ "Meet the DA – San Diego County District Attorney: Bonnie M. Dumanis". http://www.sdcda.org/office/meet-da.html. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
- ^ CA State Bar Records. Members.calbar.ca.gov. Retrieved 2011-06-16
- ^ Richard Rider (2008-02-27). "DA Dumanis 'Strong Supporter' of 2nd Amendment?". North County Times. http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/02/27/opinion/rider/16_47_992_27_07.txt. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
- ^ "District attorney wants D.C. handgun ban upheld". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2008-01-14. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080114-0722-1bo14dagunban.html. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
- ^ Kamala D. Harris, et al. "D.C. v. Heller Amici Curiae brief of District Attorneys in support of Petitioners". http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/07-290_amicus_district_attorneys.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
- ^ Littlefield, Dana. (2008-04-18) Case vs. Marine's widow is dropped. SignOnSanDiego.com. Retrieved 2011-06-16
- ^ 33 Busted in Operation Endless Summer. NBC San Diego. Retrieved 2011-06-16
- ^ Many in drug sting lack military ties. SignOnSanDiego.com. Retrieved 2011-06-16
- ^ Medical Pot Patient Acquitted Of Drug Charges – San Diego News Story – KGTV San Diego. 10news.com (2010-03-25). Retrieved 2011-06-16
- ^ Manager of medical pot dispensary is acquitted. SignOnSanDiego.com. Retrieved 2011-06-16
[edit] External links
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Paul Pfingst |
San Diego County District Attorney 2003–present |
Incumbent |
- 1951 births
- Living people
- People from Brockton, Massachusetts
- University of Massachusetts Amherst alumni
- Western State University College of Law alumni
- American Jews
- California Republicans
- California lawyers
- District attorneys
- LGBT Jews
- Thomas Jefferson School of Law people
- Women in California politics
- LGBT judges
- California state court judges
- Lesbian politicians
- LGBT politicians from the United States
