“I’m a much better candidate for the job because I have experience,” she said of her decision to challenge Fagundes. “I’m a more well-rounded candidate. I have extensive litigation experience. Additionally, I have civil law experience.”

Hacker, who attended Clovis High School and earned a BA in political science from UC Santa Barbara, earned his JD from Southwestern School of Law in Los Angeles in 2005.

Before attending law school, she worked in Washington DC on the staff of then-Congressman Jeff Flake (R-Ariz).

Hacker joined the Kings County district attorney’s office in 2006 after interning there while in law school.

One of the main reasons she is running for senior county attorney is because she has a civil law background, she said.

“I’m a partner at a law firm, so I have administrative experience,” Hacker said, noting that she’s familiar with contract law.

Hacker also cited his positive relationship with other county law enforcement agencies, including the Kings County Sheriff’s Department.

His ad includes a quote from Sheriff Robinson.

“I am honored to endorse Sarah for Kings County District Attorney,” Robinson said. “We worked side by side in the district attorney’s office before I was elected sheriff. She has the knowledge and experience to do a great job.”

The slogan of the Hacker platform is: “Justice for all”.

“Everyone is prosecuted the same way,” she said. “Part of the problem is that Keith presented himself as the ‘best cop’ in Kings County, which isn’t true. He’s not a cop.

“A big part of my platform is that the DA’s office should not compete with law enforcement,” Hacker continued. “The prosecutor’s office should work side by side, in tandem with law enforcement. Everyone should work together to promote a just and fair legal system.”

Although she alluded to various allegations against Fagundes – including recent sexual harassment charges filed against him – Hacker said she was very concerned about accusations that Fagundes allegedly showed bias in the cases that he processed.

“The prosecutor’s office is not a public defender’s office,” she said. “It’s the only one [county] office that prosecutes the crime. And when a single public official determines which crimes will be prosecuted, the process must be fair.

“I think currently the way crimes are prosecuted is based on their relationship with the district attorney,” Hacker continued. “If the DA has a relationship with the defendant, the DA will be lenient.”

Hacker also pointed to the alleged high staff turnover under Fagundes as a big factor in his decision to run for DA.

“I left the DA office very shortly after Keith took over,” she said, noting that she would be required to resign from her current position as a partner at a firm. private lawyers if elected.

“From what I’ve seen from the outside, a big problem with the prosecutor’s office is that there’s an extreme turnover rate, so assistant prosecutors don’t have the opportunity to build relationships with local law enforcement,” she said. “I would treat the assistant district attorneys better for wanting to stay.”

Building relationships with Kings County law enforcement and protecting the “helpless” are important parts of Hacker’s campaign, according to his press release.

She cited prosecuting various cases — from homicides to sexual assaults to white-collar crimes — as critical to her experience.

The protection of children, the elderly, the disabled, women and animals is vital, according to Hacker’s announcement.

Although Hacker said she enjoys her position at the Dias law firm in Hanford, she is prepared to step down if elected to the DA.

“It’s a wonderful place to work,” she said, “but I choose to show up because I think what’s going on in the DA’s office is wrong.”