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-Editorial
Every day, Jason Amavisca goes to his office in El Centro, California where he prepares for a day in court to defend his clients with the professionalism that characterizes him as a person and as a lawyer. His passion for the law shows itself every day as he speaks on behalf of his clients and fights for what is right.
Originally from San Pedro, California, the Imperial Valley adopted him and opened doors of opportunity by being hired as a Deputy District Attorney for Imperial County and eventually opened his law firm. Jason is grateful for what the Valley has given to his family and wants to take it one step further by becoming the next Imperial County District Attorney.
His job bears a great responsibility because he deals with complex cases and situations he needs to analyze before going to the courtroom. While challenging, he prepares himself by studying the cases before going before a judge to defend his clients. That’s a typical day for him.
“Being a criminal lawyer is very exciting. Each case is very different, even if the charges are the same. People commit offenses for different reasons, such as greed, necessity, mental health, ill will, or simply because good people make bad judgment calls,” Amavisca told Beyond Borders Gazette during a recent conversation about his candidacy. “So, not only is it necessary to know the facts of the case, and identify the legal defenses, but it is also important to know why the person accused of the crime committed the offense.”
He explained how the environment of a criminal defense attorney is very fast-paced, and dynamic and requires the criminal practitioner to think quickly on their feet.
He brings years of experience in the legal field working as an attorney with insurance fraud, misdemeanor prosecutor, and felony-level prosecutor. Amavisca has hundreds of hours working to make the Imperial County region a safer place to be.
If elected, Amavisca is ready to hit the ground running from his first day in the office ready to bring change to the office. There are many issues in the community that need to be addressed and he has already identified where the District Attorney’s Office can contribute to having positive change.
For him, the foremost issue in the community that the District Attorney’s Office can affect is public safety. He believes the District Attorney’s Office exists to serve the people. He supports law enforcement’s mission, and he understands all law enforcement agencies, including the District Attorney’s Office, must foster solid relationships for the common goal of protecting the community from serious and violent crimes.
“This is accomplished by—
establishing and maintaining a very good working relationship with all of our law enforcement agencies. Keep in mind that local law enforcement are the ears and eyes of the community, and they know what public safety issues are impacting the community, and what criminal trends are emerging throughout our communities,” Amavisca expressed.
By maintaining close contact with the law enforcement community, the District Attorney’s Office can be more effective in applying its resources to promote public safety, he added.
“Community Outreach: The District Attorney’s Office must be a ubiquitous agency in our community so that the public knows that the District Attorney’s Office exists and the services it provides. This can be accomplished by (a) having town halls, (b) round tables with local civic leaders, and (c) attending community events,” he emphasized.
He is a strong advocate for victims’ rights. He will ensure they are treated with care and respect through each stage of the criminal case. Victims will be given access to comprehensive services to reduce the trauma they have suffered from the criminal act. He promises to work with the Board of Supervisors to increase the number of certified victim advocates at the District Attorney’s Office.
Amavisca encourages the citizenry to get involved with the District Attorney’s Office and voice their concerns by attending the community outreach programs.
“I am the most qualified candidate out of the four running for District Attorney, because:
- I have the experience necessary to lead the biggest law firm in our county and the top law enforcement agency. I have been an attorney for over 22 years; I am a former prosecutor in Imperial County for over 6 years and have been a private criminal law practitioner for over 15 years. I have the experience to analyze a criminal case from both the prosecution and defense perspective so that the policies implemented in the office as to charging cases are not undercharged or overcharged,”
“I have the most jury trial experience than my opponents. I have done dozens of jury trials both as a prosecutor and defense attorney.”
In addition, he is the only candidate that has experience in Federal Court.
“I am the only attorney that has practiced before our local federal court. I am familiar with the federal sentencing guidelines and the fact that the federal system is harsher on many federal offenders than their state counterparts. This lends the experience of knowing which cases to work with our federal law enforcement partners so that serious and violent cases at times may promote greater public safety if prosecuted federally.”
In addition to being a lawyer, he has had the privilege of over 5 years, being an Adjunct Professor at San Diego State University Imperial Valley Campuses, teaching criminal law, juvenile delinquency, the law in society, and criminology. He is also privileged with serving as a Board Member of the Imperial County Lawyer’s Association.
“I have the temperament to be District Attorney. I maintain my cool under pressure, I can work with others and individually, and would be successful in establishing strong working relationships with our local, state, federal, and international law enforcement partners,” reiterated.
Amavisca aspired to become a prosecutor even before attending law school. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from California State University and in 1997, he earned his law degree from Pacific Coast University Long Beach. His ambition and passion for law and justice continue even as a lawyer. In 2017, Jason earned his Master of Science in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Forensics, from St. Leo University.
Amavisca said that as people, we are blessed to live in a democracy, where the citizens of this Great Country have the power to choose who will lead us, what laws will be enacted, and what social policies will be implemented, but this can only occur if we exercise our power to vote.
He is seeking your support to become our next District Attorney so that he can apply his more than 20 years of experience as a criminal practitioner to represent the People of the State of California and the County of Imperial.
“The power to vote is the core of our democracy. I urge that on June 7, 2022, each of you exercise this very powerful democratic privilege and vote. I humbly ask that you vote for Jason Amavisca for Imperial County District Attorney.”
Jason Amavisca has work, life experience, and qualifications that make him the most qualified person for the position of District Attorney. His honesty and hard work have led to a successful and fulfilling life.
