Soon after winning the election in November 2018, Dallas District Attorney John Creuzot announced major alterations to the way that his office would pursue the prosecution of crime in the county. The proposed changes, a significant departure from historical practice, attracted the attention of locals, statewide elected officials, and one of the largest police unions in Texas.
In an April 2019 release, the then-newly elected Democrat announced that he had begun bringing about the “transformation” of the criminal justice system, calling his pursuit of so-called “reforms” during his first 90 days on the job “impressive.”
Among many other items, Creuzot’s “reform policies” include refusing to prosecute first-time misdemeanor marijuana offenses, as well as theft of personal items with a value less than $750 that his office deems stolen out of “necessity.”
Creuzot’s decision had the material effect of selectively ceasing the prosecution of Class C and B misdemeanor theft, as $750 is the threshold for theft to be prosecuted as a Class A misdemeanor under Texas law.
In an interview with the Texas Tribune soon after his policies were announced, Creuzot said, “I’ve been in criminal justice for 37 years, and I’ve seen people steal because they’re hungry, and I’ve seen the system react where the cases are dismissed or react in a more harsh manner where incarceration is requested, but the reality of it is putting a person in jail is not going to make their situation any better.”
Since Creuzot took office in January 2019, larceny and theft offenses have risen by 11.83%, according to DallasOpenData. So far in 2022, such crimes have increased by 14.40% when compared to the same period in 2019.
Soon after Creuzot’s policies were announced, Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a joint letter decrying Creuzot’s new policies, calling his actions a clear violation of his oath of office to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States and this State.”
“Reform is one thing. Actions that abandon the rule of law and that could promote lawlessness are altogether different,” the two Republican elected officials stated.
Rebuking Creuzot for branding his plan as a “reform” package, the two chided, “Constitutionally, ‘reforming’ state law is the province of the Legislature.”
Calling Creuzot’s new plan for how to treat some crimes “unacceptable,” then-president of the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas (CLEAT) Sgt. Todd Harrison remarked, “When he was campaigning for the office, we don’t remember not prosecuting crime as part of his platform.”
CLEAT is one of the largest police unions in Texas.
Michael Mata, president of the Dallas Police Association, told the Texas Tribune that Creuzot’s plan risked further eroding the relationship between the public and their local police.
Mata said that these policies create a “belief that it’s an option, that we are choosing to enforce law” selectively. He went on to say that if a citizen is adamant about filing a complaint, police are compelled to pursue it.
Yet to have the district attorney later decline to prosecute “erodes an already eroding relationship with the public” for law enforcement, he added.
“This isn’t helping us,” said Mata.
Despite local and state opposition, Creuzot has not backed down from these policies for prosecuting crime. In his recent party primary, Creuzot once again defeated Elizabeth Frizell, who campaigned this time around on ending what she called his “dangerous” theft policies.
“I don’t think when someone steals from you, you should feel like I can’t call the police, no one’s going to help me, no one’s going to do anything,” Frizell told Inside Texas Politics.
Creuzot successfully secured his party’s nomination but is now set for a general election in November with a broader electorate. In yet another rematch, he faces Republican Faith Johnson, the incumbent whom he defeated in the 2018 general election.
Johnson has made Creuzot’s theft prosecution policies a cornerstone of her campaign. When asked at a campaign event if she would rescind this policy, she declared to cheers, “Absolutely…I’m going to abide by the law.”
Note: This article was updated on September 13, 2022, at 6:35 p.m. to include additional information.