Burke Law is proud to support David Scherr for Vermont State Senate. David joined Burke Law in 2013 and fought for Vermonters charged with criminal offenses. Attorney David Scherr then worked for criminal justice reform as an Assistant Attorney General. Now, David is running for Vermont State Senate. His clear message regarding criminal justice initiatives is evident:
“I’ve worked for years, both in Vermont courtrooms and in Montpelier, for a system that recognizes and addresses the underlying needs of individuals who get involved in the justice system—poverty, substance use disorder, and mental health challenges.
I currently serve as an Assistant Attorney General in the Vermont Attorney General’s Office. I am honored to work with the Attorney General to build a justice system that keeps us all safer by addressing these underlying needs.
I’ve also seen the system up close. In my time as a contract public defender, I represented Vermonters who needed help in Chittenden County—and in every criminal courthouse in every county in the state. During my service with the Attorney General’s Office we have worked with partners around Vermont to more than double participation in our Diversion programs statewide, keeping thousands of people out of the standard criminal system and allowing them to repair harm to their communities and get the help they need without enduring the burden of a criminal record.
We have tripled participation in Pretrial Services, a program that connects people involved in the criminal system with the mental health and substance use disorder treatment they need.
I have worked with the legislature and state officials to significantly expand access to criminal record expungements—allowing people who have paid their debt and remained trouble-free to wipe clean their records and obtain good jobs that can bring stability and dignity.
We have reformed our bail laws—nobody should be jailed simply for lack of funds.
While I’m proud of these accomplishments, we have more to do. We still have too many people stuck with criminal records who pose no danger to society and who should be able to expunge their offenses—and gain access to better jobs. We need to fully and faithfully implement our “raise the age” laws, allowing young people who make a mistake to avoid the lifelong burden of a criminal record while gaining access to services. We need to reduce the numbers of people who are reincarcerated after being released from Vermont’s prisons—Vermont has one of the highest rates of reincarceration in the nation.”
Please consider supporting David Scherr for Vermont State Senate.
