ON THE ISSUES

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Juvenile crime is out of control and getting worse.  Our community does not, and should not, accept crime as a way of living.  Policy decisions are driven by statistics.  We do not prosecute cases based on statistics.   True prosecutors understand:  one domestic assault victim is too many, one stolen car is too many, one child molested is too many.  It is high time legislative actions reflect the public safety demands of the communities served.  It is time to get back to effectively promoting public safety.  Lauren puts community and victims first.

VIOLENT REPEAT OFFENDERS

Our community expresses outrage when a criminal offender on probation goes out and commits a new crime.  Lauren shares this outrage: it is completely unacceptable for offenders on probation to continue committing crimes.  Lauren has years of experience developing and executing prosecutorial strategies to hold violent repeat offenders accountable.  Lauren has developed protocols that target violent offenders on probation and parole---successfully returning countless violent offenders to prison to serve out the remainders of their sentences.

JUVENILE CRIME

Lauren understands that fighting juvenile crime is complex and involves competing philosophies.  Lauren firmly believes in accountability.  As part of the legislative committee of the Maryland State's Attorney's Association for years, Lauren understands that the legislative focus must remain on stopping the victimization of our community by juvenile offenders.  Juvenile offenders must be held accountable for the crimes they commit.  Legal guardians who stand by, thereby enabling juvenile offenders to commit crimes, must be held accountable.   

COMMUNITY AND VICTIMS FIRST

Lauren understands that in each courtroom, during each proceeding, she is representing our shared community and our community demands that its prosecutors hold those who commit crimes accountable.  This cannot be ignored.  Lauren has proven that in every case she considers whether her actions will:  keep the community safe, prevent there being more victims, and hold the offender accountable.  Lauren puts community and victims first.

QUALITY OF LIFE CRIMES 

Lauren understands that quality of life crimes matter.  On social media, community members raise concerns about car thefts, porch pirates, and disruptive juvenile conduct at small businesses.  Crime negatively impacts everyone's quality of life.  Strategic prosecution is key because the penalties for quality of life crimes are lower.  Lauren's years of experience in sentencing recommendations takes into account restitution, rehabilitation and punishment - this helps drive down recidivism.