Jason McLaughlin has long been in the criminal defense industry and is running for Imperial County district attorney. He has 20 years of experience as a criminal practitioner. If elected, he will be the next district attorney for Imperial County. He is running against George Marquez and Mario Vela.
Mario Vela
Mario Vela, 31, is running for District Attorney of Imperial County. He is a lifelong resident of Imperial Valley and a Deputy District Attorney. His experience ranges from misdemeanor DUIs to serious felony offenses. He is an active member of the California Bar.
Vela is running in the 2022 election. He is running against incumbent Gilbert Otero, who served as district attorney for two terms with the voters’ approval. Otero has been in the office since 1994. He was promoted to felonies after his first term. Since then, he has handled felony cases, as well as minor drug offenses and driving under the influence cases. In addition, he has sworn in six new deputy district attorneys.
He is one of two candidates for Imperial County district attorney. Deputy DA Mario Vela has served the County for three years, but he has not yet won the DA race. Both candidates have experience in the justice system, including as an El Centro city council member. Vela was endorsed by the Imperial Beach Democratic Club.
To run for District Attorney of Imperial County, Vela must file a conflict of interest statement and a statement of intent. He must also declare his income and assets to be able to serve as DA. Until now, the incumbent, Raymond R. Castillo, has served as district attorney since 1995. A second candidate, Joong S. Kim, is pending.
George Marquez
George Marquez is an attorney from the Imperial Valley. He has earned a reputation as an excellent attorney. He has been a prosecutor and a deputy public defender. He was born and raised in the Imperial Valley. His parents were mariachis and pillars, and he attended public schools in the Imperial Valley, including Imperial Valley College.
As a prosecutor and public defender for nine years, Marquez has worked on many types of cases. He’s worked as a juvenile prosecutor and conducted jury trials and grand juries. He’s also given presentations about juvenile delinquency. Marquez is also a community activist. He serves on the board of the Calexico Rotary Club and is an adjunct professor of criminal justice at San Diego State University-Imperial Valley. He has taught 32 classes, and many of his students have gone on to become successful law enforcement officials.
A native of Los Angeles, Marquez moved to Imperial County when he was nine years old. His parents, who are now deceased, had a family business and a mariachi band. The family had a deep affinity for the Imperial Valley. As a result, Marquez’s passion for the area grew.
In the meantime, Marquez’s goal is to improve the criminal justice system. He plans to implement policies that improve the mental health of juvenile delinquents. He also plans to advocate for dual jurisdiction for dependency court cases. In addition, he wants to implement restorative justice, which is a creative method of resolving cases without the courtroom. This approach brings together the victim and delinquent, as well as the community. In this way, the victim and delinquent are more likely to be able to communicate with one another.