Family court judge soundly defeats prosecutor Karyn Sinunu
Gilroy – Dolores Carr trounced Karyn Sinunu in the race for district attorney, becoming the first woman to hold the county office. As of 11:41pm, with two-thirds of precincts reporting, she had scooped up more than 60 percent of the vote: 154,941 votes to Sinunu’s 99,014.
The race pitted Sinunu, a veteran prosecutor, against Carr, a family court judge who says she’s seen the law from both sides. Traditionally, Sinunu might be dubbed the insider; Carr, the outsider. But neither label was precise.
For instance, Sinunu skewered her own office for jailing Ricky Walker, an East Palo Alto man accused of murder, on the false testimony of a jailhouse snitch. Critics called her prickly and abrupt, too harsh to lead. If Sinunu’s on the inside, she hasn’t gotten too comfortable.
Meanwhile, “outsider” Carr touted her experience: 15 years as a deputy DA, six years on the judge’s bench, and stints in private practice and criminal defense. She fended off Sinunu’s charge that her husband, a San Jose police lieutenant, would tilt her judgments toward police. Sinunu painted Carr’s many police endorsements as a liability, often repeating, “She’s family.”
“Sinunu has obviously not been at any of our family dinners,” Carr wrote on an online forum. “My husband and I disagree on a number of topics. He will do his job, and I will do mine.”
Still, police conduct became a flashpoint of the campaign, as Sinunu argued for open grand jury hearings into shootings by officers. Carr said she’d reserve open hearings for “extraordinary circumstances,” to protect witnesses and an officer’s privacy.
And differences of style translated into issues of substance: Sinunu was criticized for her office’s “win at all costs” attitude; Carr promised a more holistic approach, developed in family court, that values a community solution over a courtroom win.
In an online forum, Sinunu wrote, “Please don’t confuse high standards for aggressive prosecution with running wild in the courtroom.”
But Sinunu’s hard-edged style may have turned off voters, who opted for Carr’s kinder, gentler brand of justice.
Carr also led the June primary with 42 percent of the vote, eight percentage points ahead of Sinunu. Sheriff Laurie Smith and Assistant District Attorney Marc Buller, who she defeated, endorsed her. Though Sinunu snapped up prominent Democratic Party endorsements, she took a hit when incumbent district attorney George Kennedy opted for neutrality, and withdrew his endorsement.
By 10:30pm Tuesday, Sinunu conceded the race. Celebrating at the Britannia Arms pub in San Jose, Carr said, “I’m very relieved this long journey is over.”
