Lohra Miller's Accomplishments

Domestic Violence (DV)

During her campaign, Lohra stressed the need to improve domestic violence prosecution in our community. She described the escalating nature of domestic violence crimes and talked about the need to stop domestic violence early, before violent behavior reaches a point that it threatens lives.

Upon taking office, Lohra crated a specialized domestic violence prosecution team. By using a strategy of early intervention to improve offender accountability, the Domestic Violence Team has managed to turn an historical 30% conviction rate into a 70% conviction rate. DV prosecutors work closely with victim advocate groups, courts, and treatment providers to ensure that offenders get the help they need to overcome their violent behavior. The District Attorney’s DV Team has been so successful that other jurisdictions have asked our prosecutors to train them on how to improve DV prosecution in their communities.

Felony DUI Prosecution

DA Miller promised to take a stronger stance on Felony DUI prosecution. Before Lohra took office, felony DUI cases were mixed in with other felony cases. Because they were often viewed as lesser offenses in a prosecutor’s overwhelming caseload, the DUI cases would get overlooked. As a result, offenders would often have multiple cases with the D.A’s Office before they were ever held accountable.

Once again, the solution has been to create a specialized prosecution unit. The DUI Team now prosecutes all felony DUI cases the D.A.’s Office sees. Their special training and focus has brought a consistency and expertise to DUI prosecution that has never been seen in our community. In an effort to take offender intervention and rehabilitation to the next level, the DUI team is working with the Utah Third District Court, defense attorneys, treatment providers, and other service providers to create a specialized DUI Court in Salt Lake County.

Partnership with Law Enforcement

Four years ago, Lohra was concerned about the working relationship the D.A.’s Office had with Valley law enforcement. She thought the office could work better with law enforcement to improve understanding between officers and prosecutors and to improve case investigations, which would improve case prosecution. Her initiatives included:

• A program allowing prosecutors to accompany police officers as they work. This gives prosecutors a better understanding of the special challenges facing police officers. As part of that program, officers are welcomed to shadow prosecutors as they go about their duties. This gives officers a unique understanding of the challenges prosecutors face as they prosecute the cases brought in by law enforcement.
• Lohra has also created a more open method for reviewing officer involved shootings. After investigations are completed, prosecutors run through the details of their decision with the leadership from the concerned agencies. This helps officers better understand why a decision was made.
• DA Miller has created a call-out team to help write search warrants and provide other support for complex, time-sensitive, or particularly serious case investigations.
• The DA's Office also publishes a bi-monthly newsletter where prosecutors address specific questions posed by law enforcement. This creates an open dialogue between police and prosecutors allowing police to understand their job duties better.
• Finally, in addition to the various meetings she attends with law enforcement, Lohra conducts roundtable meetings with officers from each department. The meetings allow officers to learn about office policies and matters of law directly from D.A. Miller and her staff.

Office Modernization/Reorganization

Lohra promised to bring the office into the next century by updating the technology the offices uses to do its job. The use of out-dated technologies and old processes were starting to hinder the office’s ability to do prosecute cases.

During the last three years, DA Miller has overseen the implementation of a new case management system, provided prosecutors with lap-tops and smart phones to allow them to do their jobs on the go, taken major steps toward the creation of a paperless office, and promoted better use of technology in the courtroom.

At the same time, Lohra has reorganized the office to reduce the number of administrators in the office and ensure that more attorneys carry caseloads. She has created specialized prosecution units for domestic violence, DUIs, elder abuse, and automobile homicide. She has also centralized homicide prosecutions under one of her criminal division administrators and allocated resources necessary to allow for the creation of a new juvenile court system.

Fiscal Responsibility

Lohra has managed to make all of these improvements while keeping in mind the financial strain caused by the current economic recession. Lohra has continuously examined DA processes and spending habits to find areas of savings. From analyzing purchases of books to finding new sources of revenue, DA Miller has been able to control costs to meet 2.1 million dollars in budget cuts. In addition to meeting those cuts, she has returned over 1.2 million dollars of her budget back to taxpayers. Including projections for2010, Lohra Miller as District Attorney will have saved tax payers over five million dollars. Returning these funds was made possible by the use of asset forfeiture (funds seized from criminals) and grants to keep office objectives progressing. In fact, Lohra has brought in over a million dollars in grant funding alone. These funds will help continue and create programs for domestic violence, elder abuse, a DUI court, and an Early Case Resolution Court-which will transform criminal prosecution in our community.

Under Lohra Miller, every District Attorney process has been questioned to find savings and every purchase has been analyzed. The Office has never been more responsible with your money. From re-negotiating contracts, to changing spending habits, to finding new ways of doing business, Lohra has spent the last few years finding ways to save you money while keeping you safe.

The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office provides a full-service law firm to County agencies through its Civil Division. Under Lohra Miller, The civil division has taken enormous strides in providing expert and professional services to County agencies while bringing more money and savings to county coffers. Read more to find a brief explanation of some of those efforts.

Value You Deserve

Under Lohra, the District Attorney’s Office has improved its debt collection and asset forfeiture operations to bring more money into the county. In just a couple of years, Lohra managed to implement a number of changes that more than tripled the amount of money collected through debt collection programs. In addition, the Civil Division brought in millions of dollars in out-standing tax revenues through corporate bankruptcy collections. The Civil Division also managed to rework a number of contracts that have brought added value to taxpayers for every dollar spent.

In tough economic times, these efforts have gone a long way to keeping County services up and taxes low. By better protecting County interests, the District Attorney’s Office under Lohra Miller has managed to better protect your pocket book.

Protecting Your Quality of Life

Lohra Miller, as District Attorney, has worked with other County agencies and directed legal efforts to make sure that Salt Lake County grows in a healthy and responsible way. She has overseen legal proceedings in conjunction with Kennecott Copper’s development of the West side of the County, worked with the Mayor’s Office on several green projects, and helped staff attorneys facilitate the development and creation of numerous parks and other services. In short, Lohra Miller has overseen numerous developmental projects intended to make Salt Lake County a better place to live, both now and in the future.

Your Day-to-Day

When it comes to you living your daily life, Salt Lake County provides a number of services all aimed at making things a little bit easier for you. Whether it be Meal on Wheels, renting a book from the library, going to the gym or playing organized sports, or voting; Salt Lake County has a number of services and products aimed at making your life better. The District Attorney’s Office provides legal representation for all of those services—which means that District Attorney’s Office represents your interests. Under Lohra Miller, the District Attorney’s Office has provided expert counsel and defense services that have saved the County millions in law suits and other civil claims.

• Creation of specialized prosecution units bringing a unique focus and special training to difficult case prosecutions. This brings better case resolutions, better supports victims, and brings a higher quality of justice to Salt Lake County residents. Lohra Miller created teams specialized in prosecuting domestic violence, DUI, elder abuse, auto-mobile homicide, and homicide. Those teams joined the Gang Team, Special Victims Unit, and Drug Team as expert teams with a specific focus on one type of crime. All of the programs have worked to great success.
• Lohra has reorganized the office to reduce the amount of administrative and supervisory staff. This has allowed her to refocus resources where they are needed—on the front lines of case prosecution.
• Lohra has found technological solutions to challenges facing the District Attorney’s Office. Lohra provided laptops, smart phones, a new case management systems and wireless internet access at court to create a mobile office environment and improve District Attorney services to victims, better case prosecutions, and improved value to taxpayers. Beyond that, Lohra is working to bring electronic document management and other systems that will eliminate the need for paper and prepare the District Attorney’s Office for the next decade of case prosecutions.
• Lohra created the first formalized prosecutor training program the D.A.’s Office has ever had.
• Lohra has worked with numerous County and State leaders to draft and implement legislation aimed at improving your safety.
• Lohra has worked to reduce case dismissal rates by finding innovative ways to get victims and witnesses to court.
• Improved the prosecution of quality-of- life crimes like fraud, identity theft and burglary by reducing caseloads and creating special tasks forces like a metals theft task force.
• Provided award winning victim advocacy services.
• Lohra has dedicated the resources necessary to improve juvenile case prosecutions. With one prosecutor now assigned to each juvenile courtroom, juveniles now receive rehabilitative services sooner and justice is more effectively served.
• Lohra has improved tax, debt, and asset forfeiture collections to bring more revenue to the County and reduce the cost of government to County tax payers.
• Created the Ride-Along, Tag -Along program to improve relationships between prosecutors and law enforcement.
• Created a case call out team providing prosecutor support to law enforcement during case investigations.
• Created a new, more effective protocol for investigating officer-involved shootings. This new protocol insures investigative integrity and gives prosecutors better information for decision making.
• Brought accountability to the office without tyranny. Lohra has instituted case and performance review procedures aimed at helping employees improve their job performance.
• Covered gaps in the criminal justice system. Lohra meets regularly with representative from law enforcement, the courts, and defense attorneys to ensure that the criminal justice system runs at its best.