Candidate for
District Attorney; County of Santa Clara

Jim Shore is a candidate for District Attorney to bring greater safety and equal justice to all the people of Santa Clara County. That means keeping the DA's office focused on safety and justice -- not headlines and politics. It means assembling a team of qualified, experienced law enforcement professionals and giving them every tool and technology available to help them do their jobs.

And it means having a District Attorney who will work every single day to keep the families of Santa Clara County safe.

As a prosecutor and a Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney, Jim has tried the toughest cases, putting murderers, rapists, and child molesters behind bars. But Jim knows it's not enough to be tough -- we also need to be smart. That's why he's fought to push the District Attorney's office forward with innovative prosecutions to protect our children, our communities, and our environment. And Jim has worked as a community prosecutor taking on quality of life crimes like public drunkenness and vandalism that create a hostile environment in our communities.

Jim knows that keeping the people of Santa Clara County safe requires maintaining the public's trust -- especially in this environment of increasing allegations of ethical misconduct by public officials. Without trust, we can't protect victims and secure convictions of the guilty. Without trust, we can't find evidence that exonerates the innocent. Without trust, our most important public safety agency becomes ineffective.

As District Attorney, Jim will take immediate, concrete steps to create an office culture where justice is always the first priority. Jim's plan includes: bringing in a panel of independent experts to conduct an "ethics audit" of the DA's office; ensuring that prosecutors have the support staff they need to discharge their obligation to handle cases fairly and in a timely manner; providing ongoing ethics training for every supervisor to ensure that the "win at all cost" culture is eradicated; and leading by example to show that finding out the truth is our only goal.

Jim has managed and led two organizations -- the Santa Clara County Government Attorneys Association and the California Prosecutors Association -- that have been at the center of the fight for tougher laws and more effective prosecutions. He has fought for tough new laws in Sacramento to help end the revolving door in our county jails and prisons, and to ensure the passage of Assembly Bill 488 -- which enhanced Megan's Law and enables concerned parents and other citizens to better protect themselves and their children from sex offenders.

Jim understands our system of justice cannot be fair unless all communities are fairly represented. That's why, as President of the California Prosecutors Association, he fought to retain and recruit minority applicants -- especially in the wake of Proposition 209. Proposition 209 created a dynamic that dramatically hindered the participation of communities of color in public law schools. Many new attorneys of color now graduate from private schools, saddled with substantial debt and unable to afford a career in public interest law. Jim was among the first to identify this crisis and do something about it: working statewide for the passage of AB 2023, which allows for increased retirement benefits that make a career in public interest law more affordable.

Jim also knows that a fair system of justice can offer a second chance to those who aspire to be productive members of our society. He designed and fought to implement an aggressive welfare fraud diversion program -- largely benefiting younger and lower-income parents -- to give them the education and skills necessary to get back to work and to end the stigma of their felony convictions.

Jim currently serves as the vice-chair of the City of San Jose's Public Safety Bond Citizens Oversight Committee for the $159 million Public Safety Bond Fund, where he is working to make sure that the new San Jose Police substation is built on time and within budget.

A youth soccer and baseball coach, Jim has focused his spare time on protecting our youth and preventing children from the temptation of drugs and crime by serving as a long-time board member of the San Jose Police Activities League, a board member of the After School All-Stars, the founding President of the Walden West Outdoor School Foundation, and the President of the San Jose Medical Center Foundation. He also served as a member of the State of California's Juvenile Justice Advisory Commission.

Jim is a longtime resident of the county and lives with his wife and their four children in San Jose.