After eight years as clerk of Superior Court, Lorrin Freeman became Wake’s first female district attorney in 2014, and she’s shown independence and intelligence since assuming that role. She lost the endorsement of the police union after charging three law enforcement officers with felony assault. She also successfully prosecuted former Register of Deeds Laura Riddick for embezzlement, and her office brought a felony charge against the head of a private school who allegedly declined to prevent a teacher from sexually assaulting a student. We wish Freeman would pledge not to pursue capital punishment, which is wasteful and largely pointless, but on the whole, she’s done a good job.
Freeman defeated her Republican opponent, John Walter Bryant, in 2014, and we expect she’ll do so again. While he promises to put “irredeemable criminals” behind bars, Freeman is pushing for a criminal summons in lieu of arrest for nonviolent misdemeanor offenses and has expanded diversion programs for offenders with mental health issues. That’s a better approach.
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