Harris County Republican D.A. Candidate Dan Simons pledges advocacy for victims, not criminals
Talking with Harris County DA candidate Dan Simons
With crime control and public safety still the biggest priority of Harris County voters, the race for District Attorney is drawing plenty of interest. FOX 26's Political Reporter Greg Groogan spoke with Republican candidate Dan Simons who says the rights of criminals should never outweigh the well-being of victims.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - Harris County Republican District Attorney Candidate Dan Simons sat down with FOX 26 to discuss what he would bring to the table if elected as Harris County District Attorney.
Here's a transcript of their discussion:
Greg Groogan FOX 26 Political Reporter: "Right off the top, what do you bring to the table?"
Dan Simons, Republican for Harris County District Attorney: "I grew up homeless and in foster care. I moved in with friends I met through the Salvation Army when I was 12-years-old just to have the opportunity to graduate high school, to be the first in my family. I then joined the military because it was the only option for someone like me. I didn't have anyone else to turn to and in the Air Force I became a cop because I wanted to protect people. Law enforcement was my duty. Between the ages of eight and 15, I was a real victim and I don't want people out there to think the DA's office doesn't care about victims. While my opponent is running on empathy for the criminal justice system, I'm running on empathy for the victims."
Groogan: "You talk about your time as a prosecutor. Was there one lesson or series of lessons that resonated more loudly, more firmly, more permanently than others?"
Simons: "Victims deserve to have someone stand up for them. Sometimes, victims don't want to stand up for themselves and you have to be a person to do that. As a prosecutor, I gladly took on that responsibility."
Groogan: "If elected, what would the DA's office look like with you at the helm?"
Simons: "You've got two kinds of criminal defendants down there. We've got the ones we're mad at, and you've got the ones we are afraid of. Once you decide that, you know which direction to go. We want to remove the ones we are afraid of. ...Let's go look at Chicago, let's go look at Philadelphia, let's go look at San Francisco, let's go look at Los Angeles, let's look at Portland and see how that's worked out for them. Look at Austin and how Austin is. That's coming to Harris County at warp speed and the only thing standing in the track stopping it is me, and I'm not moving."