Name: Jeff Dobson

Age: 40

Political party: Republican

Campaign website: http://dobsonforda.com

Occupation and employer: Dobson Law Firm, PLLC Attorney

Education: J.D., Campbell Law School

Elected offices held: None

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: I medically retired from the Army after serving for 16 years with five deployments. The last 10 years of my career was spent in special operations working closely with host nation governments, numerous US agencies, and even teaching foreign soldiers at their military schools. In Afghanistan, I developed a literacy program, broadcast over the radio, where local populace would follow along in books and learn to read and write.

Who are your top three campaign contributors? Myself, check donor list for others

What are three things you want to accomplish in the next year, and how do you plan to accomplish them?

Reduce the massive backlog of pending cases. I will repurpose one of the courtrooms to hold probable cause hearings. This allows the state to identify weak evidence/cases well in advance, allows the defendant to see the likelihood of loss at trial, and saves the county money by not holding people in jail if the state lacks sufficient evidence to win at trial.

Reduce the expenses of the DA’s Office. Implement a case evaluation matrix to identify case strength and weakness. Last year the DA’s office lost five murder trials outright, which means there wasn’t a proper determination the strength of the case and money and other resources were wasted.

Develop young attorneys. The average time of practicing law for the District Court ADAs is approximately a year. I plan on putting in place a mentorship program where younger ADAs are paired with senior ADA to learn how to handle complex cases. Also, to teach them basic rules and process of handling criminal cases.

What about your experience makes you the best person to be Wake County’s next district attorney?

I have vast experience as a leader and have managed multi-million dollar budgets. As a senior leader in the Special Operations, I was oversaw the education, training, and development of approximately 7,000 soldiers. As a law firm owner, I have grown a successful law practice and mentored multiple attorneys. These experiences will help me reduce the exceptionally high turn over rate and backlog of cases in the DA’s office.

I have been to several third world countries and seen what happens firsthand when the criminal justice system is broken. I understand the impact that broken system has on less fortunate individuals. I will use my experiences to ensure that each case is evaluated on its own merits, not based on the ability to pay for a private attorney.

I have worked with, local, state, federal governments, and international organizations; giving me an in-depth understanding of the importance of inter-agency cooperation and the impact when agencies work against each other.

What does the District Attorney’s Office do well? In what areas does it need to improve?

It handles misdemeanor crimes efficiently, rarely allowing cases to get much older than a year old before being handled. They also set special setting when a normal court session will likely not be appropriate.

Fails to handle felony cases and post-conviction matters in a timely or appropriate manners. The amount of murder and other felony cases is unacceptable. Part of this is because the DA’s office refuses to dismiss cases that lack sufficient evidence, but still pushes for a trial. This is shown by the DA’s office losing five murder cases last year. The DA’s position currently appears to be “deny everything” in post conviction matters. Instead of evaluating the case to see if there might have been a legitimate issue or error, Lorrin, or her staff, denies everything and hides behind “I have to let the system work.” Lorrin fails to understand that the DA’s office is part of the system.

Has the Wake County DA’s office done enough to attract and retain Black, Hispanic and other diverse prosecutors?

No, there has only been a felony prosecutor, under Lorrin Freeman, that was African American or Latino.

What role does and should the Wake County DA’s office play in stemming violent crime?

They need to work with law enforcement to ensure that stops, searches and arrests are done in accordance with the law, so that cases are dismissed for constitutional violations. The DA’s office must ensure that cases are handled swiftly, so that high-risk defendants aren’t out on bond for several years waiting for trial. The DA’s office is also responsible for handling cases where the defendants are in custody quickly, to decrease the jail population and allow the sheriff’s department to allocate more funds to deputies on patrol.

What is your stance on the death penalty?

It should be used in the most egregious cases, but not used when the defendant has a history of severe mental health issues.

Should former Raleigh police detective Omar Abdullah who oversaw criminal investigations that resulted in trafficking charges on fake drugs and a $2 million settlement by the city of Raleigh, face criminal charges?

If the facts are as I know them, yes; and likely more than one charge.

What is your definition of transparency and how do you plan to apply that to your office?

The public should know exactly what to expect when a case comes to my office. At least twice a year, I will open my office to discuss with the community their concerns about how cases are handled. I will openly share why I make the decisions I make when it comes to deciding whether or not to prosecute important cases.

Does Wake County do enough to ensure that people charged with low-level, nonviolent crimes aren’t being held in jail because they can’t post bail?

No. The bond in Wake County is considerably higher than Harnett, Johnston, Nash and other surrounding counties, even for first-time, non-violent offenders.

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