Alicia “Lisa” Walton
Candidate for Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney
Education: J.D., UALR Bowen School of Law
Prior Elected Office or Public Service: Attorney with Pulaski County Public Defender’s Office; U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Arkansas Army National Guard
Community Service: I am a member of the W. Harold Flowers Law Society and serve as the Chair of the Election Committee; Secretary of the Arkansas State Convention of the NAACP; and Treasurer of the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program. I provide pro-bono legal services to indigent Arkansans with Access to Justice and the Center for Arkansas Legal Services.
In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge facing the prosecutor’s office and how do you plan to address it? The biggest challenge facing the Prosecutors office at this time is the backlog of cases resulting from the pandemic. I have a plan that will allow us to conduct a secondary review of cases by senior attorneys in the office. This group will triage the cases based on the nature of the offense and criminal history of the defendants to determine whether the case should be scheduled for a diversion program, specialty court, negotiated plea or for trial.
A 2018 study from the University of Georgia showed that incarceration can make existing mental health conditions worse and incarceration itself increases the chance of developing a serious mental health disorder. What steps will you take as Prosecuting Attorney to divert people with mental health conditions from the criminal justice system? As a criminal defense attorney, I assisted in creating the Little Rock Mental Health Specialty Court because I understand that prolonged incarceration is harmful to those suffering from mental health issues. While incarcerated an individual is unable to receive adequate mental health treatment. For those, whose cases would be suitable for entry into the Mental Health Specialty Court, we will work to get their cases transferred. For those who have been found unfit and are awaiting transfer to the Arkansas State Hospital and/or are unsuitable for release, i.e. violent charges, I will work to develop a plan that will allow for meaningful therapeutic services to be rendered while they await bed space. As each case is different the circumstances of the arrest and facts of the case will assist in determining the appropriate manner in which each case is handled.
As Prosecuting Attorney, how would you handle a fatal use of force incident involving local police? I am of the opinion that in cases involving law enforcement a third party should conduct the investigation. I will ensure that each law enforcement agency that falls within the jurisdiction of the 6th Judicial District is advised of my preference. Having a third party investigate these types of cases will assist in restoring public trust in the justice system and our law enforcement officers.
A study by VERA Institute of Justice found that 63% of people in Arkansas’s jails are being held in pretrial detention. What are the factors contributing to this rate? What is your position on current pretrial incarceration rates? Many individuals who are held have insufficient resources to allow for the posting of money bail. These individuals are low wage earners, individuals receiving SSI and/or are homeless dependent on family or others for support and lastly those who have failed to appear in court. The majority of those detained are affected by poverty. I am encouraged by the Pulaski County Bail Reform Committee and its efforts to address this issue. In the past the Prosecutor has stalled all attempts at reforming the system to allow for non-violent offenders to be released on conditions, such as, telephone check-in, text reminders of court dates, etc. As Prosecutor I will work closely with this Committee to ensure that this issue is adequately addressed.
A study published in the Stanford Law and Policy Review showed that while white people and people of color use and sell drugs at the same rate, people of color are arrested for drug offenses at disproportionate rates. What would you do to minimize these disparities? I will institute diversion programs and specialty courts to address this issue. Drug charges are non-violent offenses and as such, we will review each case to ascertain which program would best serve the individual and the community at large.