Technology has drastically increased the potential of the Lancaster Public Defender’s office to serve our county, but we have failed to keep up with the latest changes. Sarah will incorporate more of these tools into the office, such as discovery platforms which can quickly digest video evidence or writing tools which streamline brief-writing, note-taking, and time-tracking. These changes will save taxpayers money and increase the capacity for cases the office is able to manage.
As the head public defender for the county, Sarah will work with elected officials at all levels of government to implement smart justice reforms that reduce recidivism, prevent crime, and save taxpayers money. Sarah is proud to be endorsed by County Commissioners who currently oversee the Public Defender’s Office budget including Sean Flowerday, Chelsea Johnson, Christa Yoakum, and Rick Vest because they know she has the knowledge and experience needed to move the office forward.
Sarah knows the best leaders don’t just lecture, they listen. Having served in the Public Defender’s office for over a decade in total- Sarah has seen firsthand the importance of working with the community, stakeholders, and staff when making decisions. She is dedicated to being a collaborative leader who takes all viewpoints into account.
Sarah has devoted her career to serving her community and fighting for the little guy, both inside and outside the courtroom. As your next public defender, Sarah is committed to being a good steward of taxpayer dollars, striking the right balance between efficiency and quality representation. She understands the office needs to work smarter. Efficiency comes through restructuring systems, not micro-management. And when it comes to legal representation, doing it right the first time avoids the cost of drawn out appeals.
Having returned to the office after a decade practicing across the State, Sarah is in a unique position to see how little the office has evolved. Currently, the office has a high level of staff turnover caused by burnout and outdated caseload standards. This high turnover rate requires constant training of new staff, stretches existing staff thin, and slows the process, meaning cases take longer and jail populations increase. When elected, Sarah will reorganize the office, make better use of support staff to help for non-legal tasks, incorporate a team-based approach to litigation used by large law firms, and work with staff to reduce turnover and provide better representation for our county.