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Prosecutor Kyle Stone is seeking a second term as Stark County prosecutor

Prosecutor Kyle Stone is seeking a second term as Stark County prosecutor

Editor’s Note: The Canton Repository asked the two candidates running for Stark County District Attorney to write guest essays.

Our national political landscape has become so divisive that true public servants are being asked to step up and prioritize people over politics, love over hate, justice over favors, and the law over opinion.

When I decided to accept the position of Stark County Prosecutor in 2019, I did so because I believed that change needed to occur in our criminal justice system. Stark County deserved an active prosecutor then and now.

I believe that my original three pillars are still a driving force in my fourth year. Unity, transparency and justice have been the principles by which we have acted since we took office.

Unity in the criminal justice system allows for more impact, more change and more awareness. Over the last four years we have built very meaningful partnerships and collaborations. For example, our crime prevention collaboration meets with over 20 local agencies around Stark County once a month and assesses current trends and steps that can be taken to ensure we are addressing the root causes of crime in the community.

We recently launched our Keep Kids In School initiative in collaboration with Canton City Schools, the Educational Service Center and seven other school districts. This initiative is intended to help in the fight against truancy.

We have worked with local and federal law enforcement to address gun violence in our community and have seen a decrease in serious violent crime because of this unity and collaboration.

Additionally, as a result of our office’s participation in federal task forces, the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office is on track to receive over $600,000 in equitable equity funds.

In response to the increase in domestic violence cases and domestic violence-related homicides, we have worked with Domestic Violence Project Inc., Community Legal Aid, Family Court and the Sheriff’s Office to create a Family Justice Center to provide comprehensive services is intended for survivors of domestic violence and their families.

This was reinforced by the recent announcement that the Attorney General’s Office will receive a $500,000 grant from the Department of Justice. In this work, unity is important.

When it comes to transparency, we have increased the community’s openness and availability to the office. For the past three years, I have held town hall meetings throughout the county to give the people of Stark County an insight into how our office operates.

We have also created a database that allows the public to see how a case began and how it concluded to ensure we act fairly and consistently. I continue to make myself and my staff available to engage with the community and provide insight into the processes implemented under my leadership.

Finally, when we look at the Pillar of Justice, we are most importantly reminded of why we do the job of a prosecutor. Under my leadership, my office has a near-perfect conviction rate in murder cases. Since taking office, we have significantly increased the number of direct indictments we submit to the grand jury.

We have abolished policies and measures that tip the scales of justice in favor of the state, and we still have a high conviction rate. When the evidence was presented to us, we supported a young man who was wrongfully convicted at the age of 16.

I’m the working prosecutor Stark County needed. Since taking office, I have prosecuted several cases and continue to serve as a prosecutor for our Honor Court to support our veterans. In addition to the courtroom, I am in the boardroom for local charities and in the classroom teaching our high school students in our 3Rs program.

While my opponent has 50 years of court experience, I can’t keep up with that because I’m only 41 years old. The good news is that to be successful in this job, you need to be able to manage people.

We have been successful over the last four years because I have the skills, temperament and passion to lead a team of 70 people. I believe I have earned another four years to serve Stark County as your prosecutor.

Kyle Stone, a Republican, is the incumbent prosecutor in Stark County. He is running for a second term.

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