DA candidates talk experience, share concerns about crime

Attorneys Marie Primm and Perry Thomas, who are running for the Republican nomination for 33rd and 424th district attorney, participated in a Feb. 8 forum hosted by the Burnet County Republican Party and the Burnet and Bertram chambers of commerce. 

The position is open with the retirement of DA Wiley “Sonny” McAfee, who served 12 years in office.

The March 5 GOP primary will decide who takes office in January 2025 due to no Democratic challenger. Early voting runs Feb. 20-March 1.

Both candidates have decades of experience as attorneys and each voiced concerns for the potential rise in crime that could come with population growth.

The candidates introduced themselves and answered questions in the order of how their names will appear on the March 5 ballot.

The 33rd and 424th Judicial District includes Burnet, Llano, Blanco, and San Saba counties. The district attorney is responsible for managing the prosecution of especially serious crimes within their district and working alongside the courts and law enforcement of their district to promote justice.

INTRODUCTIONS

Marie Primm

Primm is currently a prosecutor for the Texas Attorney General’s Office and a member of its Capital Murder Team, which travels the state to aid in the prosecution of capital murder cases. She has 22 years of experience working in the Harris County DA’s office and was the division chief over five district courts for seven years. She lives in Sunrise Beach Village in Llano County.

“When I was in elementary school, career days happened at my school and the local district attorney came to talk to us. He was very passionate about being able to help people when bad things happened to them, and he always got to do the right thing, which was the best part of his job. That was my inspiration.

“This community is experiencing a lot of growth, and with growth comes crime, unfortunately. There are drug crimes that are going on, and drugs also bring violent crimes and property crimes.

“This community deserves an experienced prosecutor that has been proven.”

Perry Thomas

Thomas currently operates a law practice in Burnet. Before that, he worked as the lead assistant district attorney for the 33rd and 424th District Courts under the outgoing DA for 4½ years. He has a total 34 years of experience as an attorney, 24 of which were with the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office.

“I have experience working in the courts of this district. I have worked with the district judges. I had the opportunity to work with most of the law enforcement agencies in this district, the court staff, other agencies and departments that touch upon the justice system in Burnet County. So I’m experienced not only in the courts but also in this district and have a good working relationship with all of the people in this district.

“It is my goal to work to keep violent crime under control and keep Burnet County a safe place to live.”

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

QUESTION 1: What is your experience in managing people, including the number of people you have supervised?

Primm: “At one time in my career, I was in charge of managing all the new prosecutors that came to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. I managed 45 of the newest attorneys in the office. I dealt with mentoring and training them and teaching them how to be a prosecutor and what it meant to be a prosecutor.

“Later in my career, I served as the head of a division in Harris County which supervised five district courts, and I supervised 20 attorneys. I oversaw the decisions they were making and assisted them and helped them become better attorneys.”

Thomas: “I have supervised attorneys, investigators, and paralegals in several different positions. The largest number at a time that I think I’ve supervised is when I was the first assistant here in Burnet County working for (DA) Sonny McAfee. I believe there were probably nine attorneys or so under my supervision plus the support staff in the Llano office that I supervised.

“I have a lot of experience in supervising attorneys, mentoring them, working with them, and helping them, particularly younger attorneys and up-and-coming lawyers, and supervising their work.”

QUESTION 2: What is your leadership style and how do you deal with conflict?

Thomas: “My leadership style is to lead by example. I believe in a team approach within an office, particularly when dealing with a group of lawyers. It’s always good to have good lines of communication open.

“If there’s conflict, I always like to visit with the people involved in the conflict, find out what the issue is, and let’s talk it through. I think it is true that when you can talk an issue out and find out what the problem is, most of the time, you can solve it in that manner.”

Primm: “I would say my leadership is leading by example. I think in leading groups of attorneys, investigators, and other support staff you need to show them that you’re not just telling them what to do, but that you can do it yourself and that you’re willing to do it yourself.

“And communication is the key when it comes to conflict. There’s always going to be conflict, especially with prosecutors. People’s emotions sometimes get the best of them, and it’s because they believe in a case. And I think that you have to take the time, take a deep breath, and listen to everybody involved to come up with the right resolution.”

QUESTION 3: What is your budgeting experience and what is the latest budget that you have ever managed?

Primm: “While I was in Harris County and division chief, the budgetary needs for my division, my five district courts, came through me. The majority of that budget related to employees and salaries, and that’s the majority of a district attorney’s budget, is salaries. 

“I didn’t have the final say-so in the budget because it was a very large office, but as far as projecting what needs for the division, what supplies were needed, what attorneys were needed, what investigators were needed, that came through me.”

Thomas: “Having worked in this district and worked for the District Attorney’s Office previously, I have had occasions to be part of the budgeting process for the District Attorney’s Office. I know all of the county judges in the four-county distinct that I hope to be able to serve in, and I have a good relationship with all of those individuals. I know most of the commissioners courts of those counties. 

“I’ve been through the budget process before with Burnet County. I have good relationships with them, with the Commissioners Court, and I hope to be able to work again and use my relationships, my experience with them to set budgetary issues and goals for the District Attorney’s Office.”

QUESTION 4: How many criminal cases have you prosecuted and what is your conviction rate?

Thomas: “I can’t tell you the numbers. I’ve been in the business 34 years, prosecuting for 29 years. I bet it’s probably 10,000 or more cases, and that’s probably underestimating the number of cases.

“The majority of cases overwhelmingly result in a conviction of some sort. I have a very good success rate in trial.

“I’m not scared of trying a case that’s a tough case to win. If I believe in a victim, if I believe a victim has suffered, even if it’s not a slam-dunk case, I’m still going to take a chance and fight for a victim of crime. I will stand up for them, and I don’t care if I win or lose. I’m going to stand up for a victim of crime.”

Primm: “I know I’ve tried over 100 felony jury trials as a lead attorney. I’m not gonna say I won every case because I didn’t. Sometimes, you take a case knowing it’s difficult, but knowing in your heart of hearts that it’s the right thing to do. So, I have lost some cases. I would say that my conviction rate when I go to trial is over 90 percent.”

“As far as the number of cases that I’ve handled, when I was prosecutor in Harris County, our dockets typically were 500 to 1,000 cases per court. I was a chief in court for seven years, so that’s probably about 7,000 cases. When I was coming up through the office, I can’t tell you how many thousands of cases I had my finger on. I can’t possibly give an exact number of cases.”

QUESTION 5: What is the No. 1 problem facing the district and how would you handle the problem?

Primm: “I think a big issue for this community is the growth that we’re seeing, and with the growth, unfortunately, comes crime. I believe that there is a drug problem in the area. There is a drug problem, and it’s not being helped by the open border. We’re about four hours from the border, and it’s coming directly in this area.

“I believe that all local law enforcement officers need to be able to communicate with each other so that they can accurately show what’s going on in each jurisdiction and be able to handle that.

“I think that a drug task force is in line and necessary in this area to tackle that problem that is facing this county.”

Thomas: “With growth does come additional crime, and I think we will see that. I think we’re seeing additional violent crimes, unfortunately.

“I think we need to be ready to meet that head-on at the District Attorney’s Office, and no matter where I travel in the district, I always hear the same thing: the drug problem.

“In my career, I have supervised and been the chief prosecutor of a drug task force, and I would like to use the duties and powers of the District Attorney’s Office to organize law enforcement agencies in this district to put together another drug task force.

“Because today’s drug dealer in Burnet is tomorrow’s in Llano, and somewhere else, and I would like to coordinate those efforts to go after the number one problem people have in this district, and that’s the drug problem.”

CONCLUSIONS

Primm: “Burnet County deserves a prosecutor that has been proven. Like I said, I have much trial experience, I am very good in a courtroom, and I am very good at working with law enforcement. I think Burnet County needs a leader to take over for Mr. McAfee and lead the county and the office. I have shown that I can lead groups of attorneys and I can mentor and help them develop their skills as a prosecutor.

“I will tell you this. I tell every new prosecutor what is needed in a prosecutor is heart and hard work. It takes up a lot of your heart when you come into contact with the victims, and you have to be willing to give it your all.

“I will work hard. I promise you that no one will care more about these cases and that no one will work harder than I will.”

Thomas: “To serve as your distinct attorney, my goal is to keep you safe because we have a wonderful way of life here in Burnet County. It is a dream to live here. We’re the envy, really, in the state of Texas, and it’s that way in part because we are safe.”

“My goal will be as a district attorney to work to keep you safe. I have the experience of having worked and practiced and tried cases before the judges in this district. To serve as your district attorney from day one, I’m ready to go from the beginning. I’ve worked with the law enforcement agencies, I’ve worked with all the various departments, and so there will be no learning curve. I’m ready to go now.”

“I want to work to keep this the great place it is to live to keep us safe, a great place to raise our children and our grandchildren.”

dakota@thepicayune.com