Letter: Quinn has strengthened Dubois County justice system
Over the course of the last several weeks, I have seen a lot of “Vote Democrat” or “Vote Republican” signs, social media posts, and ads. Having served in a leadership capacity in the Dubois County justice system for many years at Dubois County Community Corrections, I have had the pleasure of collaborating with wonderful people on both sides of the ballot, regardless of party. I always vote for the person, not the party.
Anthony Quinn is on the ballot for Superior Court Judge this year, and his advocacy, experience, and support of treatment for individuals with substance use disorder make him rise to the top. Anthony currently serves as the elected prosecuting attorney in Dubois County, and prior to that, he practiced family law and criminal defense.
In the movies, the prosecutor is always the one that wants to lock up the “criminal” and throw away the key while the defense attorney argues that their client is completely innocent during the jury trial. As a judge, having both perspectives can be extremely valuable, and I have observed Anthony offer fairness and justice all at once. Those two are not mutually exclusive in his daily practice, which is ideal considering in real life, we find that often, the arresting officers have completed their role in establishing probable cause that the allegations occurred, though considered innocent until proven guilty.
The issue with locking someone up and throwing away the key without addressing the needs and behaviors that brought them into contact with the justice system in the first place is that 93 percent of all individuals who go to jail or prison are eventually released back into their community—our back yards, our places of employment, our churches.
In my experience, Anthony has helped increase public safety in Dubois County through his collaboration with rehabilitative and treatment partners who offer defendants who really want to make a change in their life the services they need to become productive and functioning members of our community.
Anthony always fights hard to represent the victims and the families of victims of violent crime. He is the voice for the most vulnerable and the voiceless. He also understands that intergenerational trauma is the gateway drug, and many of the individuals arrested for substance-related offenses have often experienced victimization and other forms of trauma, as well.
His partnership with agencies providing evidence-based intervention, effective case management, and accountability have helped lead Dubois County to be one of the most effective justice systems in the state, and as Judge, I believe this community would continue to see the high level of safety, fairness, and accountability for individuals involved in the justice system.
Megan Durlauf, Ferdinand
