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Matt Scott, district attorney

The Robesonian - 5/2/2018

1. What uniquely qualifies you to serve as district attorney for Robeson County?

My diverse legal experience and vision for a better Robeson County uniquely qualifies me to be the next district attorney for Robeson County. I have prosecuted multiple types of cases in state, federal and military courts. In addition, I was appointed by The Judge Advocate General of the United States Army to be an adjunct professor of Criminal Law. In that position, I had the great honor of teaching attorneys how to try cases in a courtroom. As a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve, I currently supervise attorneys. As a special assistant United States attorney, I worked with federal law enforcement agencies in the identification, investigation and prosecution of drug organizations that dump poison into our county. While as an assistant district attorney in Robeson County, in addition to trying numerous jury trials, I have continued to work proactively with law enforcement agencies in trying to dismantle drug organizations in Robeson County. This diverse experience makes me uniquely qualified to lead the Robeson County District Attorneys Office.

2. You have worked in the District Attorney’s Office as an assistant district attorney. Where are the areas that you believe could be improved in how the office operates, and how would you accomplish that?

An area of improvement is addressing how our District Court operates. Most individuals that come into our District Court are there for things like speeding tickets and seat belt violations. We need to work on getting these individuals through our court system more efficiently. If you have a speeding ticket or seat belt violation, we need to make it easier for you to come into court and address your matters and get back to work. We can do this by putting another assistant district attorney into our Disposition Court and in our Traffic Court on high volume days. This will speed up the process and thus make the experience less burdensome for those individuals who have these types of charges.

3. For lower level crimes, is prison the best option, in light of the high cost per inmate and high recidivism rate? Would medical, counseling, and other diversion programs be a better use of resources, and provide better results for the community?

For some low level crimes that are committed by those that suffer from a drug or alcohol addiction incarceration is most likely not the solution. We cannot incarcerate our way out of the drug addiction problem that plagues our county. The state of North Carolina says that 75 percent of the crime in the state is drug related in some form or fashion. If 75 percent of the crime is drug related then that is where the majority of our resources should be directed. There are diversion programs that have proven track records of success throughout the state and nation. Programs such as criminal drug courts, the LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) Program and the HOPE Initiative of Nashville, N.C. These programs have shown to reduce crime in the communities where they are implemented up to 40 percent. If we could reduce crime in our community to such a degree then we would not only change the lives of people, but also the face of the county. The best way to reduce the backlog of cases in the court system and reduce the overcrowding of the jail is to reduce the amount of crime that occurs in our county. These programs only become more important when you take into consideration the opioid problem our nation and county are facing. The opioid problem is the crisis of our generation and it is an equal opportunity destroyer. This problem does not care what race you are or how much money you may have. It affects every facet of our society.

4. What are the greatest challenges that you foresee facing the office of District Attorney in the foreseeable future, and how do you plan to meet those challenges?

The greatest challenge we face in the District Attorney’s Office is that we are understaffed in comparison to the amount of cases that flow through our courts. One way to deal with this problem is to reduce the number of crimes that come into our system. We can do this by tirelessly seeking the funding and resources to operate the diversion programs needed to curb the amount of crime that is committed within our county. These programs have proven to drive the crime rate down. These programs also allow law enforcement and the District Attorney’s Office to focus on investigating and prosecuting those individuals that commit crimes that deserve prison sentences. We also address this challenge by aggressively seeking grant-funded positions that provide additional assistant district attorneys and victim witness coordinators.

5. How important is it to you for DA office to have a media representative assigned that ensures transparency with your office and the public in which you serve?

I believe that it is extremely important to ensure transparency in the District Attorneys Office and the court system as a whole. This transparency allows the public to have confidence in the fact that the District Attorney’s Office and the court system is operating fairly. The individual that should be the representative who addresses the media for the District Attorney’s Office should be the elected district attorney. It is my opinion that the one who should address matters that concern the District Attorney’s Office should be the person who is accountable to the public. If elected, I will work to ensure that the District Attorney’s Office is as transparent as possible to the public to which it serves.

6. Robeson County ranks No. 1 in crime in North Carolina, which means a lot of cases and a backlog in the system. The Robesonian has long advocated for a Manhattan-type approach, that the state send in a team of retired judges, district attorneys, defense lawyers, or something to that effect, to help unclog the system to speak. Would you advocate for that? Do you think it is feasible? If not, how do you plan to reduce the calendar with existing resources?

It would be very difficult to reduce the backlog in the system with existing resources. If you made reasonable offers in every Superior Court case and put on a trial calendar every defendant who turned down the offer, we would still be limited by the current courtrooms and judges assigned to Robeson County for a trial week. The only way to address the backlog in the system is bringing in additional resources. As the next District Attorney, I will seek every resource available both state and federal to address the amount of crime that plagues our county.

7. How do you believe your approach to running the office of DA, if you were elected, would differ from that of your opponents?

I believe that we need to implement programs that have proven effective in other parts of the state and nation at driving the crime rate down. We also need to aggressively go after the individuals who are bringing in and distributing the drugs in our county. This is a supply and demand approach. From the supply side, we go aggressively after the dealers and distributors who spread poison in our community. We do this by working not only with local law enforcement agencies, but also our federal law enforcement partners in an effort to seek punishments that match the damage these individuals do in our community. From the demand side, we work to get funding for the diversion programs that provide the help needed to those that face addiction. This approach is not only an issue of community safety, but also an issue of economic development. The sooner we can shape the environment of our county into one that is safer, the sooner we can bring in economic development that will put people back to work.

8. Robeson County is the most diverse county in the state of North Carolina. If elected, what specifically will your office do to ensure that all citizens are treated equally and without bias toward race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, military service, or disability?

I was raised here in Robeson County and I have always felt proud of the fact that our community is so diverse. However, I know that our county has a history of not treating people fairly because of things such as the color of one’s skin. I had a boss in the Army who said that justice is not always found in the outcome — it is found in the process. If the process is fair for everyone involved then the outcome will take care of itself. I believe that is the case. If elected, the District Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly to ensure that every step of the criminal justice system is completed fairly and without bias — that the process will be fair to both the defendant and the victim.

9. There’s been some buzz mentioned about a judicial redistricting that could align Robeson and Scotland Counties to merging and having one DA office. Do you agree with the proposal or do you have any alternatives which would be beneficial for the residents of Robeson County?

I do not agree with this proposal. Merging the two counties would put added stress on a Robeson County justice system that already exceeds capacity. Robeson County is already low on resources. This plan would further limit the resources available to us in administering a fair criminal justice system. It would also not be fair to the citizens of Scotland County. I encourage every citizen of Robeson County to contact their respective General Assembly member to express their displeasure with this redistricting plan and encourage them to keep Robeson County as a separate prosecutorial district.

Ask yourself a question and answer it.

Scott did not do so.