Candidates for Dallas DA Clash Over Who's Best Criminal Justice Innovator

In this era of alternative solutions for criminal justice, the candidates for Dallas County district attorney are touting reform and innovation.So who's best equipped to pump fresh ideas into criminal prosecution and public safety?At her campaign kickoff Tuesday, former state District Judge Elizabeth Frizell said she was the best choice, while casting Democratic Party rival John Creuzot and incumbent Republican Faith Johnson as relics of the past who would retreat to the "lock them all up" policies of the 1980s and 1990s."I'm the only Democrat in the race who started to address this a decade ago, and now I'm continuing on that journey," Frizell said during a news conference announcing her candidacy. "We cannot go back to the leadership style of the '80s and '90s."Not surprisingly, Frizell's comments riled Creuzot, a former criminal court judge renowned for his pioneering diversion programs that treat problems such as drug abuse and mental illness as an alternative to prison. He's in the National Association of Drug Court Professionals Hall of Fame and is one of the most decorated judges in the nation.  Continue reading...