The progressive prosecutor movement is facing a real test in Iowa
FilterJuly 28, 2021
The County Attorney s Office in Polk County (Des Moines), Iowa has gotten little attention from criminal justice reform advocatesâat least until March 2021, when County Attorney John Sarcone prosecuted a
Des Moines Register reporter for covering a 2020 racial justice protest in a professional capacity.
Violent crime in the county has soared during Sarone s decades-long tough-on-crime tenure. Between 2011 and 2016, it increased by over 33 percent in the Des Moines metro areaâone of the highest increases during that period nationwide.
But Sarcone decided to not run for re-election next year, opening his seat up for the first time in over 30 years. Two candidates are now vying to redefine the role in Iowa s most populous county. The differences between them will show whether the progressive prosecutor movement, which has mostly taken off in big coastal cities, can gain tra
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Des Moines, Iowa (AP) Polk County's long-serving top prosecutor has announced he will not run for reelection. Television station KCCI first reported County Attorney John Sarcone's announcement Wednesday that he will not seek a ninth term next year. Sarcone is a Democrat who has served as the county's top prosecutor since 1991. He has faced recent criticism for his decisions to charge a journalist and participants in last year's protests over racial inequality. Sarcone pursued misdemeanor charges against Des Moines Register journalist Andrea Sahouri, who was pepper-sprayed and arrested while covering a protest in May 2020. His effort drew widespread condemnation from advocates for a free press and human rights. Sahouri was acquitted in March.