Dupree files for district attorney

Mark Dupree, an attorney in Kansas City, Kan., has filed for Wyandotte County district attorney.

A political science and leadership graduate of the University of Kansas, with a law degree from Washburn University, Dupree is from Kansas City, Kan., where he attended Wyandotte High School.

“My desire was to come back and help my community,” he said.

Dupree said he was conducting a positive campaign, running for the sole purpose of a better Wyandotte County.

District Attorney Jerome Gorman, who has held the office for 12 years, and has 34 years experience in the district attorney’s office, had not filed for re-election as of earlier this week.

Dupree said when he was in school, Judge Cordell Meeks helped mentor him.

“I saw the only way a community can change is if individuals step outside of their box and actually help,” he said. That provided him with motivation to help others.

After receiving his law degree, he was a law clerk for a judge, then assistant prosecuting attorney in Missouri, and later, assistant defender in Johnson County before opening his own law firm with his spouse, Shanelle Dupree.

The 34-year-old Dupree also is an associate pastor at Grace Tabernacle Church at 47th and Parallel Parkway, where his father is the pastor and his mother is the co-pastor.

His brother, Timothy Dupree, won election as Wyandotte County District Court judge in 2014. Mark Dupree, who is running for office for the first time, said he helped coordinate his brother’s campaign.

Mark Dupree said when he was growing up, the community had the nickname of “Crime Dotte.” He said he wanted to make sure that his children didn’t grow up in a “Crime Dotte” community.

“Everyone can’t afford to live on 132nd,” he said. “We have to take care of Wyandotte from 1st to 142nd.”

He said he favors attacking crime when it is small to prevent people from committing bigger crimes.

He is in favor of working together with different offices and parts of the community to accomplish goals.

Dupree has a plan with four initiatives. One is for “smart prosecution,” and includes re-engaging a drug court, he said. While a drug court is currently operating here, he said he would increase the district attorney’s office participation in it.

He said he also favors establishment of a veterans’ court, an effort which would take a cooperative effort between the courts and district attorney. It could require some effort to find grants that would help pay for costs.

He said he would establish a community prosecutor’s unit, which would address community issues and work with the community.

He also favors giving assistant district attorneys some discretionary authority in their work, he said. He is in favor of timely charging of crimes, he added.

Dupree also is in favor of the district attorney’s office being actively involved with local schools’ truancy programs and informal diversion.

Dupree said he filed now, instead of waiting to file a few months before the August primary election, in order to give time for the voters to get to know him.

“For the next six months I intend on knocking on doors, getting people to know me,” he said. He also plans to hold campaign events.

Dupree also emphasized his belief in being proactive, and said connecting with the community is proactive, while not connecting with it is reactive. Working directly with youth is one area where prevention could be effective, he believes.