Dan Dow set to helm California DA Association with 'victims always' agenda

San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow, the next leader of the California District Attorneys Association, pledged Tuesday that victims will once again take center stage in the state's justice system.

Dow, a veteran prosecutor and Army National Guard colonel, outlined his "victims always" agenda in a speech at the association's annual conference which is being held in Palm Desert. He called for renewed focus on the dignity, rights and support of victims throughout the entire legal process -- from investigation to sentencing.

At the heart of Dow's agenda is a push to enforce and reinforce Marsy's Law, a constitutional amendment passed in 2008 that enumerates 17 specific rights for crime victims. While those rights are guaranteed in the California Constitution, Dow said they often lack meaningful enforcement. "A right without a remedy is no right at all," he said in an interview with the Daily Journal, referencing a 2024 article by victims' rights advocate Steve Twist. Dow hopes the Legislature will take up the challenge of adding remedies for violations of those rights.

He emphasized the need for renewed training and cultural focus within prosecutor offices statewide, noting that years of high caseloads and shifting political priorities have sometimes resulted in victims' needs taking a backseat. "We're not talking about intentional neglect," he said, "but the reality of an overwhelmed system. Now is the time to reaffirm our commitment."

In a subtle critique of recent justice reform trends that focus predominantly on the rights and rehabilitation of criminals, Dow proposed a reframing of the entire system: "We don't call it the 'criminal justice system' in my office. We call it the criminal and victim justice system. Every crime affects a victim, and justice must serve both."

Dow takes the reins of the CDAA Thursday, after a period of division among district attorneys. Progressive prosecutors broke away in recent years, but Dow said he believes that unity is returning. "Even when we differ on specific policies, we're united around the principle that victims deserve justice, no matter their background, identity or community," he said.

Most of those progressive prosecutors who broke away from CDAA have now been booted from office including San Francisco's Chesa Boudin, Los Angeles County's George Gascon and Alameda County's Pamela Price.

The most potent example of the renewed unity among the state's top prosecutors was manifest in the presence of Ursula Jones Dickson, a former judge who is now Alameda County's DA.

Jones Dickson said in an interview that she came to the conference so "they get to know me, and I get to know them."

Like Dow, she said her priority is to put victims at the "center of the process."

"The reason we exist is because victims exist," she said. "When we remember where we come from and where we start, then it's easier for us to chart a path forward."

Dow brings two decades of experience to the role, having served as a prosecutor since 2005 and as San Luis Obispo County's district attorney since 2014.

A colonel in the California Army National Guard's 40th Infantry Division, Dow said he is honored to serve both his community and country. "This profession isn't about the money," he said. "It's about a commitment to the truth, to fairness, and to ensuring justice is done -- not just for the accused, but for the victims and the public as well."