Candidates for district attorney tell qualifications

Candidates for Wyandotte County District Attorney recently responded to a Wyandotte Daily election questionnaire.

The two Democratic candidates are incumbent District Attorney Mark A. Dupree Sr. and challenger Kristiane Bryant. No Republicans filed for the office.

The primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 4. Early in-person voting started today, Tuesday, July 21, at the Wyandotte County Election Office, 850 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Also, voting by mail is starting this week. For more details about voting dates, places and times, see https://wyandotteonline.com/youth-helping-out-with-elections-this-year/.

Previous stories about this year’s election are listed under the category “Election 2020” at https://wyandotteonline.com/category/election-2020/.

Wyandotte County District Attorney

Mark A. Dupree Sr.

Age: 38

Occupation and experience
• District Attorney of Wyandotte County

• Former Law Clerk, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Assistant Public Defender, Private Criminal Defense Attorney, GAL (Children’s Attorney)

Education
• Graduate of Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools
• KCKCC Alumni
• KU Alumni
• Washburn University School of Law Alumni

Organizations, clubs, groups to which you belong

• Appointed as a member of the Kansas Sentencing Commission
• Appointed as a member on the Kansas Commission on Racial Equity and Justice
• Board member of Sunflower House
• Member of the U.S. Department of Justice President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice: Re-Entry
• Member of The National Black Prosecutor’s Association
• Board Member of the National District Attorney’s Association
• Member of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys
• Lifetime Member of NAACP
• Member of the Earl E. O’Conner Inn of Courts

Reasons for running

I am running for re-election as the Wyandotte County District Attorney because I was born and raised in Wyandotte County and I love this community. It matters to me that justice is administered fairly to everyone in Wyandotte regardless of zip code, last name, and/or political status. I am also a man of faith and purpose and have answered the call to serve my community as a public servant.

What are the three most important issues facing this elected office and how would you handle them?

Community Trust: Continue to build upon what we have done by being a part of the community. In most cases, the solution comes from those closest to the problem. We have to be engaged with the community. We have the Community Liaison Board, InterFaith Community Board, and our youth mentorship program called Brilliant Outstanding Leaders Determined to be the Difference.

Transparency and Accountability: Making sure the community is aware of how criminal justice works. It is supposed to serve and protect everyone. This is why we engage with the public through the media, social media, and various community events. The community should understand what is happening in the D.A.’s office. Accountability is making sure everyone is held responsible for their actions and we all live and abide by the same rules- this includes every single person in our beloved county.

Public Safety: Keeping the community safe is the major priority. The two previously mentioned issues of community trust, transparency, and accountability are all connected to public safety. We have increased our felony trial conviction rate by over 20%- we are filing the right charges and winning the cases. However, we are also providing opportunities for individuals to receive help through Drug Court, Behavioral Health Court, and the Mental Health Diversion Program. However, we cannot do it alone. We need the community to report crimes, testify to eye witness statements, and to serve as fair and impartial jurors. This is why community trust is the community trust is so important. If any of these needs are not met- pursuing justice and increasing public safety becomes even more difficult for our community.

If you are an incumbent, list your top accomplishments in office. If you are not an incumbent, what would you change if elected?

• Creation of the first-ever Conviction Integrity Unit in the state of Kansas. The only person who benefits from a wrongful conviction is the person who committed the crime. We want to ensure that our system does not victimize innocent individuals by taking their freedom away, as was done in the McIntyre case.

• Not only are we being proactive and engaging with our youth we are also winning cases and sending the knuckleheads away. We have increased the felony trial conviction rate by over 20% – when I took office it was at 60% now it is above 80% and this means we are correctly charging cases and working collaboratively with local law enforcement agencies.

• The youth mentorship program which gets our Assistant District Attorneys in the classroom connecting with students and bringing them to the office to shadow Assistant District Attorneys. This encourages them to become involved in the criminal justice system in the right way.

Have you run for elected office previously? When, results?
• Yes, 2016 I ran for Wyandotte County District Attorney and won.

Kristiane Bryant

Age: 42

Occupation and experience

I have been a prosecuting attorney for 15 years. I served for over seven years in the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office. As an Assistant District Attorney, I prosecuted sexual assault, child abuse, robbery, battery and other felony cases as well as child in need of care and truancy cases. Prior to my departure from the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office in 2016, I served as a Deputy District Attorney specializing in homicide cases.

I spent over three years with the Criminal Litigation Unit of the Office of the Attorney General in Kansas where I practiced throughout the state of Kansas handling homicide, child sexual abuse and public corruption cases. During my time with the Attorney General’s Office, I also served as the Section Leader of the Sexually Violent Predator Prosecution Unit, where I coordinated a team of prosecutors from various jurisdictions across the state.

I currently serve as the Trial Team Leader for the Violent Crimes Unit of the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office where I manage attorneys and staff and prosecute homicide, robbery and assault cases.

I have served as an instructor for the Intensive Trial Advocacy Program at Washburn University School of Law for eight years. I have provided training to prosecutors, law enforcement and firefighters across the State of Kansas during the course of my career. I also previously served as the Chairperson of the Kansas State Child Death Review Board and as an instructor for the Kansas Academy of Victim Assistance.

Education

• Bachelor of Science Business Administration – University of Kansas
• Juris Doctor – University of Kansas

Organizations, clubs, groups to which you belong

• Board Member – Kiwanis Club of Kansas City, Kansas – West
• Board Member – Grinter House Friends, Inc.
• President-Elect – Lancaster-Melton Peacekeepers Civitan Club

Reasons for running

I am running for Wyandotte County District Attorney because the safety of our community is my highest priority. The prosecution of criminal cases is an incredibly important and complex piece of the justice system which requires experience and competence to ensure that the rights of Wyandotte County citizens are not compromised by the way cases are handled.

My husband and I are raising our three daughters here in Wyandotte County and I firmly believe that every member of our community deserves to be safe. Safety means we should be free from violence when we carry on day to day activities. Safety also means that residents should not live in fear of falling victim to the legal system. We need to move forward as a county to drive down violent crime and make procedural and policy changes to make the justice system in Wyandotte County more fair and consistent for everyone. The experience level of the District Attorney and professionalism in how cases are handled directly impacts everyone who comes into contact with the criminal justice system.

What are the three most important issues facing this elected office and how would you handle them?

Reducing violent crime
We are experiencing a dramatic increase in violent crime with the homicides up over 180% since last year. Meanwhile, the number of jury trials handled by the District Attorney’s Office is down over 50%. More repeat violent criminals are being given low plea offers to resolve the case and get a statistic. There is also mistrust in our community regarding how violent crimes handled.
I will advocate for a community led crime reduction strategy focused on targeting violent crime and building community relationships. True crime reduction starts with community engagement by bringing community members together with community leaders, prosecutors, law enforcement, service providers, educators, businesses and other stakeholders focus on reducing violent crime while building community wealth and partnerships in order to move forward together.
I would also ensure that prosecutors receive training in trial skills and appropriate case management to ensure that the complex litigation required to successfully prosecute violent crimes is handled appropriately.

Reforming current practices to ensure fairness and consistency
The outcome of a case should be fair and should not depend on the prosecutor assigned or how much money someone has to retain an attorney. I will set policies that require consistent treatment of similarly situated individuals to ensure that everyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system in Wyandotte County is treated fairly. Ensuring the integrity of a conviction starts with fair and consistent charging decisions. Consistency in plea offers and consistency in case resolutions for individuals charged with crimes ensures fairness result in equitable outcomes. The current practice of charging cases that cannot be proven at trial and then offering absurdly low plea offers to make the case a statistic needs to end.
I will ensure that crime victims are treated with respect and compassion. Fair treatment of victims is essential to build and maintain trust within the community. Crime victims have a right to be informed from the beginning, what to expect of the criminal justice system and they should be notified of hearings of outcomes before they happen. No one deserves to find out a case has been charged or resolved through the media.

Efficiency and transparency in case review and outcomes
All cases should be handled efficiently and the results of charging decisions and case outcomes should be available to the public. I will ensure that victims of crime do not have to wait for months for charging decisions and that they are notified of decisions and case outcomes. I will ensure that allegations of misconduct by individuals in positions of trust will be reviewed in a timely manner and that the community will be made aware of the results.

If you are an incumbent, list your top accomplishments in office. If you are not an incumbent, what would you change if elected?

I will change office policy to work toward fair and consistent outcomes for similarly situated individuals.
I will ensure that victims of crime and their families receive an appropriate, respectful and timely response when they contact the District Attorney’s Office and make sure their rights are protected through the court process.
I will work to make sure that violent crimes cases are prosecuted diligently to reduce violent crime.

Have you run for elected office previously? When, results?
I have not run for office previously.