Kym Worthy for Wayne County Prosecutor

This is no time to experiment with untested and inexperienced leadership: Our choice for Wayne County Prosecutor is Kym Worthy

As our country reaches a crossroads over race, safety and the economy, it is extremely important that individuals who have the vision, passion and experience to navigate these tough times be in positions of power.

For Muslim Americans, we must have elected leaders who are not only empathetic to our community’s fight to participate in the country’s offerings, but those who are vigilant in ensuring our safety.  A 2018 FBI report found that of the 1,617 victims of anti-religious hate crimes, 15 percent were Muslim.

For these reasons, the Muslim-Observer is pleased to ENDORSE KYM WORTHY FOR WAYNE COUNTY PROSECUTOR.

Prosecutor Worthy deserves to be reelected.  Experienced and innovative, she was leading justice reform before it was popularized.

Among her accomplishments:

• She was the first prosecutor in the United States to win a murder conviction of on-duty officers.
• She created a Conviction Integrity Unit to review cases of the wrongfully convicted, and that unit’s work has led to 19 individuals being exonerated.
• Her office found, got processed, and secured financing to investigate 11,341 abandoned rape kits, an effort that has led to 215 convictions and the identification of 829 serial rapists.
• She has worked to create alternatives to sentencing that appropriately diverted more than 18,000 adults and young people from confinement.
• During the COVID-19 crisis, she has worked with law enforcement, jail officials and judges to help reduce the jail population by 41 percent. In particular, Prosecutor Worthy has been extremely accessible and empathetic to the concerns of Muslim Americans, whether it be helping to address immigration challenges or going after individuals who target our community.

Prosecutor Worthy wants to build on her accomplishments by providing support services to those who have been exonerated; by offering 24-hour warrant review; by continuing to grow police accountability through reform; by creating a community court, and by allowing for no-cash bail for civil infractions, traffic offenses except drunk driving, ordinance violations and non-assaultive misdemeanors.

The next several years will be very tough for our state and our region’s elected leaders in coping with limited resources, devising new ways to conduct business, and ensuring that our communities heal. Wayne County, for example, is projected to have a $180-million deficit because of COVID-19. The prosecutor’s office, with a $44-million budget and a staff of 300, was underfunded and understaffed prior to this crisis. It will have to become even more adept going forward.

Such large challenges mean that this is no time to experiment with untested leadership. We need a proven leader at the head of the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, and that leader is KYM WORTHY.