Meet the Hennepin County attorney candidate
Jarvis Jones believes that he is qualified to become the next Hennepin County attorney.
span style=”font weight: 400 Do I have any experience in litigation? Jones said yes. “Management experience? Yes.”
What makes Jones stand out as a candidate is his ability to “change agent.”
Jones, 68, is primarily a pro bono lawyer who makes his living by investing. He said that he has managed hundreds of people directly and indirectly while working for a Fortune 300 company. He also spent time in senior roles at other companies. He has more than 30 years of experience in litigation and is the former president of the Minnesota Minority Lawyers Association.
Jones heard from attorneys of color about their feelings of being unwelcome at the state bar association when he took over the minority lawyers’ association. He set out to become the first Black president for Minnesota’s state bar association.
He argued before the state Supreme Court that lawyers must take ethics and bias courses. He also advocated for making legal documents easier to understand. People who do not have to be lawyers can understand the legal documents better. All lawyers are required to undergo ethics and bias training. Legal forms have been simplified.
Jones was named Hennepin County’s chief procuror. He said that he will change the office’s approach towards violent crime, especially carjacking. He also promised to treat residents fairly, “regardless” of where they live. And reform the criminal justice system to “reduce mass incarceration.
Jones stated that he would uphold the “fundamental rights to safe streets” and combat violent crime by implementing “data driven” and “proven”, approaches found in other jurisdictions. He also targeted career criminals with harsher penalties and focused more on hate crime and bias crime.
Jones said that carjacking can be discouraged by penalizing adults who pay minors for their services. He suggested that the minor be convinced that they will only spend a brief time in juvenile detention and that their records will be cleared when they turn 18.
Jones stated that he sees it as an abuse to get young minds to commit violent crime.
He supports changing the juvenile justice system to make carjacking minors more severe. Jones stated that some people refer to a trip into juvenile detention as a “trip to camp”. Jones stated that he would like to create a system where a minor’s record is not immediately erased after committing violent crimes such as carjacking with an weapon.
Jones stated that although Jones believes in accountability, he also believes we have overcriminalized low-level, not violent offenses. Jones believes that those who are unhoused and are being arrested for loitering or battling drug addiction need accountability, but not criminalization. He supports more diversion programs and alternative incarceration programs.
Jones stated that his number one priority is to prosecute violent crimes and foster public safety. Jones stated that abortion is “not a priority at any span>
span style=”font weight: 400 My office will not prosecute such things. Jones stated that Jones’ office would not prosecute low-level, nonviolent drug offenses.
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