What are the top issues facing the prosecutor’s office and how would you address them?

“The biggest issue facing the Prosecutor’s Office is building and maintaining community trust. We ask a lot of our victims and witnesses—to come forward and trust that the justice system will deliver accountability. That trust is essential to public safety.

We’ve built that trust through results in the courtroom, including three consecutive years with homicide conviction rates above 90%, and by being present in the community with initiatives like our Second Chance Workshops. We will continue expanding those efforts and making sure people know their prosecutor is here to serve them.

We’re also seeing too many juveniles commit serious acts of violence, more often now, as their first offense. That means we have fewer opportunities to intervene before a young person faces life-altering consequences.

Our response has to be both prevention and accountability: creating more opportunities for young people, strengthening community partnerships and addressing juvenile access to firearms, while holding those who commit serious violence accountable. If we can reach young people before they reach the courtroom, we can make our community safer.”

How would your office address some of the root issues that can drive crime, such as mental illness, substance abuse and homelessness?

“We know mental illness, substance use disorder and homelessness can contribute to criminal behavior, and if we want to reduce crime over the long term, we have to address those underlying issues. Public safety is not just about what happens after someone commits a crime, it is also about preventing that person from committing another one.

That is why our office has invested in diversion programs and established the Quality of Life Unit, particularly for first-time offenders and those charged with lower-level offenses. When appropriate, we can connect people with mental health treatment, substance use services, job training, and other resources while still holding them accountable.

But prosecutors cannot solve these challenges alone. It takes strong partnerships with treatment providers and community organizations. Our responsibility is to use the tools available to us wisely and recognize when treatment, services and accountability may do more to protect the public than incarceration alone.

Accountability and rehabilitation are not opposing ideas. If we can address what is driving someone’s criminal behavior and prevent them from reoffending, that is a public safety success.”

The city of Indianapolis instituted a curfew for minors in response to juvenile-involved shootings and crime. Do you think this policy has or will lead to a reduction in juvenile crime?

“A curfew can assist law enforcement but does not address the real problem which is too many kids have access to guns.

We have seen an alarming increase in juvenile gun cases in our courtrooms, and we have to acknowledge that legislative choices have made it easier for kids to have access to guns. Permitless carry has lead to an increase in the number of people walking around with guns and it should not come as a surprise that some of those guns have ended up in the hands of kids.

Reducing juvenile violence requires us to address both the behavior and the circumstances that allow it to happen in the first place.”

Your opponent has called for a special prosecutor to look into the Hogsett administration. He has said the process needs to be “free of any political interference” and has said, “Mears cannot credibly oversee a probe.” What is your response?

“As Marion County Prosecutor, my obligation is to follow the facts and the law, regardless of who those facts may implicate. There are also legal and ethical restrictions on what I can say publicly about ongoing investigations and grand jury proceedings, and I will not compromise an investigation to respond to a political attack.

If the facts or the law require a special prosecutor, there is a process for making that determination. That decision should be based on the facts and the law, not political pressure.

Our office will continue to investigate and aggressively prosecute public corruption in Marion County, regardless of who is involved or what political consequences may follow.”

You have said your office will not prosecute women or doctors over abortions, and you do not file charges over simple marijuana possession. What is behind both of these decisions? Are there any additional types of crimes or cases your office would not pursue charges for? Why or why not?

“These decisions are rooted in prosecutorial discretion and a simple question: Where can our office have the greatest impact on public safety?

We do not believe prosecuting women, doctors or nurses over abortion care makes our community safer, and we do not believe putting someone into the criminal justice system over simple marijuana possession is a good use of prosecutorial resources. We are trying to build trust in the community, and these types of prosecutions erode the public’s trust.

Every case requires us to exercise judgment about where prosecution serves the interests of justice and public safety. That does not mean we ignore serious criminal conduct or decline to hold people accountable. In fact, it allows us to focus our resources where they matter most: violent crime, protecting victims, and holding dangerous offenders accountable.

Our priorities are clear: keeping our community safe, seeking justice for victims, and using our resources where they can do the most good.”