Greg Jones introduced our speaker for today, Jason Schmidt, who is the Republican candidate for Chautauqua County District Attorney.
A former Rotarian himself, from 2004-2009, Mr. Schmidt was not able to make the commitment to continue in Rotary but enjoyed the time he spent. He took the motto of Service Above Self with him to his work in the community.
Mr. Schmidt cares about what is going in Chautauqua County and that is why he is running. He wants to be able to give back to the community and that inspired him to step into the political arena. Not comfortable with politics but wants to make a change.
Schmidt stated that we have a real public safety concern in Chautauqua County. The county has very few felony convictions at this point. The District Attorney’s Office budget has increased by 34% over the past 4 years. There 922 felonies committed in 2016. Of the 922, only 237 convictions took place in 2016. Fast forward to 2019, there were over 1,000 felonies committed and only 178 were convicted in 2019. This trend needs to change.
Mr. Schmidt stated that we should not accept these numbers. We need to make sure these criminals are convicted and put behind bars. These arrests are not being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law as they should be.
Schmidt made a commitment to handle the most important cases. He has been conducting trials for close to 20 years. There is a backlog of violent felony trials coming up soon. Given the track record of the current DA, Mr. Schmidt believes we will not be able to see justice served.
Mr. Schmidt has a plan for ensuring that the DA’s office can turn the successful felony convictions around going forward. He feels there is a lack of communication between the police and the DA’s office. Many cases get plead down to a lesser charge. He wants to ensure there is more communication between the office and the police.
For more information, please visit https://schmidtforda2020.com/