Marc Buller has spent 22 years with the Santa Clara County
District Attorney’s Office
Gilroy – Marc Buller was 12-years-old when he decided he wanted to be an attorney.
Now, with 22 years of experience working in the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, Buller is vying to become the top attorney.
“I’m running because it’s the right thing to do,” Buller said. “I believe I have the leadership that could lead this office into the future … We need experience that only comes with time.”
Currently, he heads the Sexual Assault Unit, the General Felony Division and both the courts in North and South County as an Assistant District Attorney.
District Attorney George Kennedy is retiring after 16 years, opening the seat up to the first competitive DA’s race since he took office.
The three other candidates to replace him include Superior Court Judge Dolores Carr, Chief Assistant District Attorney Karyn Sinunu – who has Kennedy’s endorsement – and Deputy District Attorney Jim Shore.
During his career, Buller has tried numerous violent felony cases and believes his experience puts him shoulders above the competition.
“I have the most trial experience by far,” he explained, citing that he has tried about four times as many homicide cases as his opposition combined.
His ties to South County have garnered the support of both the Gilroy and Morgan Hill Police departments, and his work in crime prevention for youth in San Jose brought him the endorsement of the Franklin-McKinley School District Superintendent Larry Aceves.
In the mid-1990s, Buller helped establish a truancy program to help both parents and students understand the importance of attending school and the law behind it. The model program is still in effect today and something he is most proud of.
He also created a juvenile prevention program called Law Related Education that is taught in every fifth grade classroom in San Jose Unified School District to teach students the principles of fairness and justice.
“My focus is going to be getting back into the community and really engage them so we’re a part of the community,” he said. “We need to be involved to understand what the community wants and needs … Everyone’s going to say that, but I have a track record.”
Buller founded and procured funding through grants the Community Prosecution Unit, which pairs Deputy DA’s with community leaders to understand crime in the underserved areas of the county.
“We need to service the entire community, and my DA’s office will do that,” he said. “I think other people talk about things they’d like to do … but you need to have an institutional track record.”
To learn more about the candidates, log onto Web sites at www.marcbuller.com, www.shoreforda.com, www.judgecarrforda.com, www.sinunu4da.com, and check with Smartvoter.org as the election nears for additional information.
