Letters of Support for Jackie Sartoris
Cumberland County Democrats have the golden opportunity to help reelect Jackie Sartoris as district attorney. I have known Jackie for 20 years, first as her law school professor and then as her colleague and friend. We traveled together to Washington, D.C., with a group of Maine attorneys, seeking to convince Sen. Susan Collins to oppose Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Sartoris’ commitment to criminal justice reform is genuine and deep.
In her first term as DA, Sartoris implemented many commonsense, practical reforms like creating an alcohol and drug addiction diversion program and instituting changes that protect both the public and people with acute mental-health needs. Sartoris also created a sexual-assault team to prioritize those frequently under-prosecuted cases. She won a $2.5 million federal grant to test the backlog of eligible rape kits and prosecute the offenders whenever possible.
To continue this progressive work, I am voting for Jackie Sartoris on June 9.
— Nancy Wanderer,
Professor Emeritus, Maine Law,
Falmouth
I have been active in the restorative justice initiatives led by District Attorney Jackie Sartoris. I have seen the profound impact of her leadership.
Sartoris has changed the narrative in our justice system, shifting the focus from punishment to rehabilitation. She is an unwavering supporter of alternative sentencing for low-level offenders, recognizing that true safety means addressing root causes, not just filling prison cells. She is holding individuals accountable, helping them repair the harm they have caused and helping them become productive members of society. This approach reduces reoffending, saves taxpayer dollars and heals victims.
Her approach is smart and effective law enforcement. Sartoris understands that a safe community is built on accountability and opportunity. As she stands for reelection, she has earned my support.
— Scott Simmonds,
Falmouth
I have spent decades working with people with lives shaped by poverty, mental illness, substance use disorders and traumas like homelessness. I think the justice system works best when it helps people gain stability rather than only making hard situations worse. As district attorney, Jackie Sartoris has worked for stability, improved lives and strengthened public safety.
Sartoris is smart and pragmatic. Her solutions address underlying problems. She has helped connect unhoused residents to housing, expanded restorative justice, built diversion programs for people with substance use disorders and addressed gaps in the mental health docket. She cares about the law, the person and the overall health of the community.
Sartoris’ leadership is practical, humane and forward-thinking. She thinks creatively and I’ve seen her actions make a difference.
— Cullen Ryan,
Portland
I first became aware of District Attorney Jackie Sartoris when she was instrumental in putting together a letter from hundreds of Maine attorneys concerning the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. She demonstrated her skill at collaboration and leadership when she convinced many attorneys to step outside their comfort zones and publicly advocate for a thorough and fair examination of Kavanaugh’s qualifications and background.
The DA job is a thankless one. There are always people who are frustrated by an often slow-moving process. After all, the district attorney’s office is part of a justice system that doesn’t change quickly or easily. Even so, DA Sartoris has brought about significant change and is working on more to come:
She is broadening the use of proven restorative justice programs for low-level first-time offenders, to help prevent them from becoming repeat offenders.
She has secured funding for the processing of rape kits, previously left unexamined for decades.
She has brought together a broad variety of people outside the DA’s office to discuss new and better ways to secure justice, safety and security in our communities.
She knows, like many of our own friends and families know, that we can’t arrest our way out of the heartbreaking effects of drug abuse, and is expanding the capacity of diversion programs to connect people to effective treatment and long-term recovery.
I will be happy to vote for her for Cumberland County district attorney in the upcoming June primary.
—Susie Crimmons,
Portland
When people think of the work of a district attorney, they usually picture them in a courtroom facing the accused. But also in the courtroom are the victims.
In her first year as DA, Jackie Sartoris discovered that Cumberland County had the lowest number of victim witness advocates (VWA) per capita in Maine. VWA's are trained to give victims information and the confidence to stand up for themselves in an unfamiliar and daunting arena. Their work is essential to bringing justice in particularly difficult cases. Because of Jackie's care and compassion, more VWAs now support victims. She took that concern one step further.
Jackie also noticed that there was no private place at the historic courthouse for victims awaiting appearances before a judge. New courts have rooms specifically for this purpose. Jackie found room and secured funding to create exactly the needed refuge, naming it the “Lois Galgay Reckitt Room,” for Maine’s champion of victim’s rights and protections.
She is a strong advocate for Restorative Justice, allowing first-time offenders to take accountability for their actions, and has garnered federal funding to end the backlog in testing sexual assault kits.
Please join me in supporting Jackie’s reelection as DA. She is a champion for victims, and I trust her leadership.
— Rachel Hendrickson,
Scarborough
Cumberland County is safer today because Jackie Sartoris is our district attorney, and I want to keep it that way.
I’ve known Sartoris since our early days working on environmental policy in Augusta. Even then, she brought the same mix of backbone and practicality she now brings to the DA’s office.
In her first term, Sartoris created a dedicated Sex Crimes Prosecution Team, secured a federal grant to test hundreds of unexamined rape kits and ensured survivors see real justice. She launched a diversion program for people struggling with addiction, recognizing that accountability can mean treatment, not just jail.
Sartoris has also worked to improve the mental health docket, helped move unhoused neighbors into stable housing and made clear that no one is above the law when public safety is at risk.
As a former legislator and longtime Cumberland County resident, I trust Jackie Sartoris — and I’ll proudly vote for her again.
— Jim Boyle,
Gorham
Jackie Sartoris has earned another term as Cumberland County’s District Attorney, not just for her promises, but for her actions.
I’ve advocated for restorative justice for years. Building dynamic, effective, and sustainable programs is challenging. Sartoris has done this. She’s passionate about restorative justice, expanded it, invested in it, and made it a real option in our system. Restorative justice works: it reduces repeat offenses, allows people to repair harm, and focuses on positive outcomes.
Sartoris’ vision and leadership have grown restorative justice programs into an essential tool for handling cases.
Providing justice and ensuring public safety is about more than punishment. It’s about outcomes, changed behavior, and whether people learn from their mistakes or change their behavior and move forward. Jackie Sartoris understands this balance and has proven she can deliver on it.
— Stanley Eller, J.D., M.S.,
Brunswick