Tulsa County DA Announces Race For Reelection

Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler has announced he will run for re-election.

The announcement was made Friday afternoon.

“Tulsa County citizens put their trust in me to serve as their district attorney beginning in January 2015 and I promised to work hard every day to put violent criminals behind bars and serve with honesty and integrity. My record proves I have kept that promise and I now ask citizens to allow me to complete the work I have begun,” Kunzweiler said.

A media release said that, "since taking office, Kunzweiler has completely revamped the office, implementing a vertical prosecution model, which allows for more efficient prosecution as the same attorney handles a case from start to finish."

The full release outlines some of Kunzweiler's accomplishments and qualifications. 

Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler announced today he will run for reelection to continue to work as the county’s top prosecutor.

“Tulsa County citizens put their trust in me to serve as their district attorney beginning in January 2015 and I promised to work hard every day to put violent criminals behind bars and serve with honesty and integrity. My record proves I have kept that promise and I now ask citizens to allow me to complete the work I have begun,” Kunzweiler said.

“I am extremely proud of what I have accomplished in office, both in terms of successful prosecution and improving efficiency in the work process,” Kunzweiler said.

“We work with area law enforcement to finish their criminal investigations by securing convictions to take violent criminals off the streets. Successful cases include murders, child abuse, sexual assaults, robberies and gang crimes.” Criminals receiving long prison sentences include Vernon Stanley Majors, who murdered his next door neighbor, Khalid Jabara in a hate crime; Brian Campbell, who received five life sentences for sexually assaulting children over a period of years; Sean Freeman, who received 345 years in prison for rapes of several women; Harold Thompson, who received 35 years in prison for shooting a father during a robbery attempt as he was walking away from an area gym with his son; and Anthony Day who is a member of the 57 Hoover gang and received 77 years in prison for attacking a police officer while armed with a handgun.

Since taking office, Kunzweiler has completely revamped the office, implementing a vertical prosecution model, which allows for more efficient prosecution as the same attorney handles a case from start to finish. This allows prosecutors to work more closely with police officers, witnesses and victims.  It also allows for specialized prosecution teams so that the most experienced attorneys handle the most egregious and complicated cases – homicides, child abuse, sexual assault, robberies and gang crimes.

Kunzweiler is in the process of implementing a new digital case management system which also will improve the efficiency of prosecution and limit the time it takes to file charges in a criminal case. “We are going to use technology to speed up the process and make it easier to track the thousands of cases that come through this office each year.

Kunzweiler negotiated with county commissioners to move the DA Supervision and Bogus Check operation into the courthouse from an off-site location, saving taxpayers thousands of dollars in rent that had been paid over several years.

In addition, Kunzweiler’s office leads the state in working to keep non-violent offenders out of jail and prison, when possible, while still holding them accountable for their actions.

“Public safety is at the center of a prosecutor’s responsibilities, and I take that job seriously.  My duty is to hold people accountable for their actions based upon the law and the facts.  I will not be swayed by politics or popularity,” Kunzweiler said.  “Over the past few years I have handled many high profile cases.  I, along with my team of prosecutors will work every day in an effort to make our community a safer place,” Kunzweiler said.

“There is still much to be done to deliver justice in our community. It is an honor to serve as District Attorney. I respectfully ask Tulsa County voters to allow me to keep working for them,” he said.