Criminal Division

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books Criminal Division
(707) 463-4211

Assistant District Attorney

[Vacant, seeking experienced managing/trial attorney - Ukiah]

Chief Deputy District Attorney

[Vacant, seeking experienced managing/trial attorney - Ukiah]

Deputy District Attorneys

Scott S. McMenomey (Senior Managing DDA IV)
Heidi C. Larson (Managing DDA IV)
Luke J. Oakley (Managing DDA IV)
Eloise E. Kelsey (Coast Office Managing/Lead: DDA IV)

Jamie M. Pearl (DDA III)

Chandra Caffery (DDA II)
David C. Moultrie (DDA II)

Joshua Hopps (DDA I)

[Vacant, seeking qualified attorney - Ukiah]

[Vacant; seeking qualified attorney - Ukiah]

[Vacant, seeking qualified attorney - Ukiah]

[Vacant, seeking qualified attorney - Fort Bragg]

Legal Services & Office Management

Carmen Macias - Administrative Services Manager II (employee since 1984)
Shari Arrington - Legal Services Supervisor (employee since 1999)

Fiscal Support

Kathryn Cavness - Administrative Services Manager I (employee since 2008)
[Vacant - Account Specialist I (purchasing agent) - Seeking Qualified Applicants]

Paralegal Support

[Vacant - Senior Legal Assistant II (paralegal) - Seeking Qualified Applicants - Ukiah]
[Vacant - Legal Assistant I (paralegal) - Seeking Qualified Applicants - Ukiah]

Legal Clerical Support

Nicole Sunseri (employee on and off since 2010) [Legal Administrative Asst. to DA]
Amanda Tolles (employee since 2020) [Legal Administrative Asst.]
Tammy Oktabetz (employee on and off since 2003)
Mikaela Graham (employee on and off since 2013)
Annie Guzman (employee since 2017) [Legal Secretary on Special Assignment]
Kristen Lozano (employee since 2017)
Carrie Hardman (employee since 2020)
Marycarmen Duran (employee since 2021)
Rosa Gonzalez (employee since 2022)
Travis Rife (employee since 2022)
Taylor Brown (employee since 2022)
Nicole Martin (employee since 2022)
Doria Taylor-Chang (employee since 2022)
Desaraie Cox (employee since 2023)

[Vacant - Legal Secretary I/II - Seeking Interested Applicants - Ukiah]
[Vacant - Legal Secretary I/II - Seeking Interested Applicants - Ukiah]
[Vacant - Legal Secretary I/II - Seeking Interested Applicants - Ukiah]

Consumer Fraud and Economic Crimes Protection

The Consumer Fraud and Economic Crimes prosecutors are responsible for investigating and prosecuting economic and environmental crimes, including all civil and criminal violations of California's environmental protection laws and laws relating to unfair business practices.

Economic crimes include major embezzlement, identity theft, counterfeiting, Internet fraud, tax crimes, welfare fraud, fiduciary elder abuse and public corruption cases. Identity theft continues to be on the rise, as is embezzlement by business employees..

Gang Prosecution

The District Attorney is dedicated to the prosecution of serious and violent felonies committed by gang members in our community. Gang prosecutors are specially trained and experienced attorneys and investigators who work on familiarizing themselves with the gang member’s background and prior criminal history. Gang crimes continue to cause harm in our county and the District Attorney is dedicated in removing the most dangerous gang members from our streets.

Juvenile Division

The purpose of the juvenile court system is to decide if a crime has been committed by a person under the age of 18, and if so, to make orders imposing consequences on the juvenile offender for the misconduct and to aid in his or her rehabilitation, always keeping in mind the rights of victims and the community’s need for safety.

As a community, we must deal with the reality that juvenile gangs do exist in Mendocino County. Gang-related crimes are primarily physical assaults (to intimidate and retaliate against rival gang members) both at school and on the streets. Since fiscal year 2007, several dozen juvenile wards have had special terms of probation ordered by the juvenile court designed to prevent them from associating with other gang affiliates. The social forces encouraging gang association are widespread throughout California, not only in the large cities, but in our own county’s rural communities.

Violent crimes against the person, such as sexual assault, crimes where a weapon is used, or where a person is seriously injured, are facts of life in juvenile court. California’s plans for juvenile justice include a realignment similar to that seen in felony adult courts. No longer will counties be able to send their most serious juvenile offenders to a state-level institution; all minors adjudged wards of the court will need to be handled in the local community. This means a renewed emphasis on probation supervision and local rehabilitation programs, a new state-wide strategy that causes the District Attorney to have increased concern for public safety. It also means the District Attorney will still decide in appropriate cases whether a minor should be tried as an adult.

Because the primary goal in juvenile court is rehabilitation of the juvenile offender, our local criminal justice resources include Juvenile Hall, special schools for delinquent minors, Juvenile Probation’s IMPACT program, and counseling through local agencies. Minors are also ordered to perform community service, go to drug and alcohol treatment, and participate in anger management classes. At times the court resorts to out-of-home placement for minors who need more structure than what their parents and our local resources can provide.

The District Attorney regards crimes committed by juveniles with the utmost concern. Juvenile lawbreaking frequently involves inflicting damage on people and property. Victims of crimes repeatedly come to court with compelling expressions of the pain and loss that these crimes inflict. The District Attorney's Office is committed to advocating for appropriate criminal sanctions against minors on behalf of victims and ensuring that restitution is ordered and paid.

A constant consideration of the District Attorney and his prosecutors involves the negative effects of all juvenile crimes on parents, relatives, schools, and neighborhoods. Even lesser juvenile offenses, such as skipping school, staying out late in violation of curfew and consuming alcohol or using drugs, may negatively impact our community. The overall goal of the District Attorney is to influence a reduction in juvenile crime and, in turn, encourage normal and positive activities that help all of our children mature into functioning, well-adjusted, and productive adults.

Annual Report of Hate Crime Cases

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