Candidate for
District Attorney; County of Sonoma

District Attorney Jill Ravitch ran on a pledge four years ago to move a deeply troubled agency beyond politics to focus squarely on safety. That's exactly what she did.

Jill instituted bold reforms that are protecting the most vulnerable among us, from kids to seniors. Under her leadership, smart prosecutions have brought our felony conviction rate up to a 10-year high.

Jill maintains a relentless focus on violent crime and has stepped up enforcement where it matters most.

Jill has:

• Established a dedicated elder protection unit to deal exclusively with cases of fraud, neglect and violence against our seniors
• Aggressively targeted DUI offenders, violence against women and white-collar crime
• Ensured that experienced prosecutors handle homicide cases
• Opened the Family Justice Center, expanding services to victims of family violence, sexual assault, child abuse and elder abuse.

Since graduating from the University of San Francisco Law School in 1987, Jill has prosecuted high-profile murder, sexual assault and domestic violence cases. Jill has worked as a prosecutor in Alameda, Mendocino and Sonoma Counties and as a litigator in private practice. She has been recognized for her work, including being named "Prosecutor of the Year" and "Victim Advocate of the Year."

Jill is also a professor of law at Empire College Law School, where she teaches criminal law to first-year students. Currently, Jill serves as an Advisory Board member for both Roseland University Prep, and Worth our Weight, a culinary arts program for at risk youth. Previously, she had served on the Women in Law Board and is currently on the Foundation Board of the Sonoma County Family Justice Center.

"Safety always has to come first," Jill says. "We can't maintain a strong economy, improve our quality of life or build a brighter future for all of us unless we keep our residents safe."