Daniel Meier, candidate for Durham District Attorney
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Candidates for Durham District Attorney
Three Democrats are running for Durham County district attorney: Daniel Meier, Jonathan Wilson and Satana Deberry, the incumbent. No Republicans are running. Get to know the candidates with our 2022 Voter Guide.
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Name: Daniel Meier
Age: 49
Political party: Democrat
Campaign website: www.meierforda.com
Occupation and employer: Attorney - Meier Law Group PLLC
Education: JD, UNC Chapel Hill School of Law; MBA & MSHA, University of Alabama at Birmingham; BBA, Finance, University of Notre Dame
Have you run for office before?
2019, Durham City Council; 2018, Durham County District Attorney
Please list highlights of your civic involvement:
I have focused my criminal defense practice primarily on indigent defense, so that I represent all who need representation, not just those who can pay. In addition, I worked on the statewide working group to develop the Administrative Office of the Courts plan for Language Access/Interpreters. I have also been active on the Durham County pretrial release/bond committee to develop the policies related to bond and pretrial release in Durham.
Who are your top three campaign contributors? N/A
What are three things you want to accomplish in the next year, and how do you plan to accomplish them?
▪ Work to reduce gun violence/violent crimes by making sure that those who use firearms illegally and those harm innocent victims are prosecuted harshly.
▪ Improve efficiency/communication in the office and with victims by actually showing up in the office on a regular basis and hiring a chief prosecutor to help with communication/coordination of the calendars and cases and to help ensure that victims are being listened to, and there is communication with, and monitoring of, the assistant district attorneys.
▪ Improve transparency by ending the practice of undoing prior convictions with just a consent Motion for Appropriate Relief entered into with no public explanation or filing, and often not contact with the victims.
What about your experience makes you the best person to be Durham County’s next district attorney?
I have more experience working in the criminal justice system and trying cases than anyone else in this race. I also have experience managing large organizations and individuals from my time in health care. I have also dedicated my practice primarily to indigent criminal defense, and I spend a lot of time with the families and in the community so I understand the root causes of crime, and what we need to help reduce it.
What does the District Attorney’s Office do well? In what areas does it need to improve?
Right now the DA’s office does a good job handling DWIs and serious traffic offenses, as well as working with individuals who have substance abuse/mental health issues.
It also does a good job looking for appropriate alternatives for defendants charged with lower level crimes.
There needs to be significant improvement in focus on violent/gun crimes, victim communication, transparency, and efficiency/calendar control. There also needs to be improvement in communication and coordination within the office, and monitoring of the employees in the office.
What role does the DA’s office play in stemming violent crime? How do you plan to approach that role?
The DA’s office helps stem violent crime by making sure that there are consequences for committing violent crime, and that the public knows that there will be consequences. It also sometimes requires removing those individuals from the community for a period of time until they get the help they need to change their ways.
In addition, the DA’s office can advocate for the system/community changes needed, such as housing, economic development, transportation, and other things that reduce crime long-term.
The DA’s office can also make sure to work with defendants early to try and stop them before they escalate to violent crimes, including deferrals/diversions, and mental health treatment. I plan to implement all of those things, as well as work closely with law enforcement to make sure our priorities are aligned, and they have the support they need to do their jobs, and the training they need to do it right.
How will you ensure that people of color and people who are poor are treated fairly?
As noted, rather than devote my practice to private criminal defense, where I represent only those who can pay me, the majority of my practice is devoted to indigent criminal defense, and I have all levels of contracts with Indigent Defense Services, so I understand that we need to push to make sure people of color and the poor are treated fairly.
Obviously, as district attorney I would not have a direct role in their representation, but I would support expanded resources for criminal defense. In addition, I would make sure that my office undergoes racial equity training, and that we monitor and track outcomes to make sure that there are no disparate results based upon color or economic status. I would not object to the courts remitting court costs and fines and would continue to advocate for increased funding for the Criminal Justice Resource Center and other programs so that the poor can access substance abuse treatment and mental health treatment.
What is your stance on the death penalty?
It doesn’t work as a deterrent, it’s a waste of time, energy, and effort, and it extends the trauma for the victim’s families by giving the defendant increased notoriety and dragging post-conviction matters on for decades.
What is your stance on prosecuting misdemeanor marijuana offenses?
Durham largely stopped prosecuting those years ago, and law enforcement has largely stopped charging them. I agree with that position (as does the current administration). Unless there is some indication of a serious underlying problem that needs to be addressed, these should not be prosecuted.
Do you plan to prosecute cases that originate from minor traffic infractions, such as a broken tail light?
I don’t think you can universally say that you would not prosecute cases that originate from minor traffic offenses. Even today a significant number of my cases involving gun and drug possession originate from traffic stops for these minor infractions.
I’m not going to say that if you have a broken taillight and get stopped and guns and drugs are found I won’t prosecute. What I will say is that if your only violation is a minor traffic infraction, I will work on ways to make sure that you aren’t hit with costs and fines that you can’t afford and that will just lead to a license suspension, and a greater spiral downward.
What is your definition of transparency and how do you plan to apply that?
Transparency is making sure that the public knows what the DA’s office is doing, and why it’s doing it. I would make sure that victims are fully informed about their cases and that matters are handled on the record, and not with no explanation as to why actions are being taken or convictions overturned. I would also make sure that the public knows our basic policies and procedures, and has an ability to ask questions of the office and get answers, where appropriate.
Does Durham County do enough to prevent people charged with low-level crimes being on bail bonds they can’t pay? If not, what else should be done?
We are getting there. No one should be held simply because they are poor. I have been working on the pretrial release/low bond group in Durham for years to help address this issue, and we are doing what we can. We need to keep having the low-bond reviews every week to make sure that detainees with low bonds are looked at to see if a modification is appropriate, and we need to continue to expand the resources for PreTrial Services and the Criminal Justice Resource Center so they can help provide alternatives to detention.
What programs need to be added to the Durham County court system to better serve its residents?
We need to continue to expand the Criminal Justice Resource Center and its offerings, which include pretrial services, mental health services, job training, re-entry programs, and a whole host of other needed services. We need to have low/no cost programs for anger management, mental health, substance abuse, alcohol assessments, community service, job training, and others so that those who are not poor are not locked out of services that can help prevent low-level/first-time offenders from becoming violent/more serious offenders.
This story was originally published April 22, 2022 at 1:52 PM with the headline "Daniel Meier, candidate for Durham District Attorney."
