by Jace Laquerre, Republican nominee for Chittenden County State’s Attorney
I’ve lived in Chittenden County my entire life. This is home, and it’s where I want to raise my son. I want him to enjoy the waterfront, walk Church Street at Christmas, and listen to concerts in Battery Park. But I don’t believe we should accept a community where parents have to worry about whether those simple experiences are safe.
When Sarah George took office, she brought new ideas about criminal justice that I believed were worth trying at the time. I still believe in criminal justice reform. But it’s been over nine years, longer than a presidential term, and we’ve seen the results. The experiment has failed.
Crime, lawlessness, and disorder have become major problems in Burlington and throughout Chittenden County. Residents see public drug use, theft, disorder, repeat offenders, and businesses struggling with the consequences of an increasingly dysfunctional criminal justice system. People should not have to think twice about walking down Church Street, taking their children downtown, or letting their employees close up a business at night.
What’s troubling is George’s refusal to acknowledge that her approach isn’t working. After more than nine years in office, she has shown little willingness to reconsider or change course. When an incumbent refuses to admit that their policies have failed, voters have every right to demand a change.
Take her cash-bail policy. George’s office has made a point of not requesting cash bail. The result is what many people have come to describe as “catch and release”: someone can be arrested, processed through the system, and be back on the street while their case is still pending. When that person commits another offense and the cycle starts all over again, where is the accountability?
I understand the argument behind eliminating cash bail. I believe in criminal justice reform too. But reform cannot mean removing consequences. Treatment has a place. Diversion has a place. Second chances have a place. But when someone repeatedly commits crimes, there must be meaningful consequences. Victims deserve justice, businesses deserve protection, and our communities deserve to feel safe.
We also need a State’s Attorney who will stand behind law enforcement. Just this year, George declined to prosecute 13 people cited for criminal trespass during a protest in Chittenden County. She later declined to prosecute six people arrested during another protest after a confrontation between demonstrators and law enforcement. The cases involved allegations including disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, hindering law enforcement, and assaulting a law enforcement officer.
Whatever someone’s political views may be, they should not determine whether criminal laws are enforced. When police officers make arrests and prosecutors repeatedly decide not to pursue charges, it undermines the relationship between law enforcement and the State’s Attorney’s office. Police officers need to know that when they do their jobs and make an arrest, the prosecutor will take that work seriously.
There is a difference between respecting someone’s constitutional right to protest and refusing to hold people accountable when they cross the line into criminal conduct. We should protect the right to peacefully protest, but that right does not give anyone a free pass to break the law. A State’s Attorney should enforce the law consistently, regardless of whether they agree with the protesters or their cause.
Then there is the backlog of cases. George’s office has acknowledged that it deprioritized property crimes, leaving cases sitting for years. That means victims waiting for resolution, businesses waiting for accountability, and defendants waiting for their cases to be resolved. A criminal justice system that takes years to resolve cases doesn’t serve anyone well.
When cases finally are resolved, we need a State’s Attorney who believes that plea agreements should actually mean something. Not every case needs to go to trial, and not every offense requires the maximum possible punishment. But when someone repeatedly breaks the law, the response cannot simply be another slap on the wrist and another promise to do better.
After nine years, we know what Sarah George’s approach looks like. I believe Chittenden County needs a change in direction.
I know that asking Democrats to vote for a Republican is a big ask, even for those who agree that change is needed. I understand that. But this campaign is bigger than party labels. If elected, I have vowed to resign and allow the Governor to appoint a replacement, who could very well be a Democrat.
This is about whether our criminal justice system protects victims, holds repeat offenders accountable, supports law enforcement, and gives residents confidence that the law actually means something.
Public safety should not be a partisan issue. Let’s come together to make Chittenden County a safer place for everyone.