Silverman: Kamala Harris for President – and for the People

Standing before judges and juries, representing the people of my home town and state, gave me extraordinary powers fresh out of our state’s law school. That prosecutorial privilege was granted to me in my mid-20s, just as it was to Kamala Harris in Oakland. She actually became San Francisco’s district attorney on her 40th birthday, defeating an incumbent Democrat who had been her boss on the grounds that he was weak on crime.

Harris’ first major presidential campaign ad emphasizes that he is an experienced prosecutor. She is described as “fearless” and her extensive law enforcement experience is highlighted. The ad showcases her tough-on-crime approach, stating, “She put murderers and abusers behind bars,” while emphasizing her dedication to public service, stating, “Kamala Harris always knew who she stood for.”

With apologies to the public defender types (Biden, Clinton, Obama), America needs an experienced prosecutor right now. We need her confidence and comfort. Veteran prosecutors accept the pressure. They look sociopathic accusers in the eye. They win over strangers with proof, winning smiles, and effective oratory.

Launching his presidential campaign in Joe Biden’s historic retirement Sunday, Harris immediately emphasized his roots as a Bay Area courtroom prosecutor. The former San Francisco prosecutor said then that she knows Donald Trump’s gender.

I was also a big city prosecutor in the 1980s and 1990s. It was a wild time, culminating in the infamous Summer of Violence (1993) in Denver. Crack cocaine, street gangs, and violent crime were rampant, but smart prosecution helped turn the tide in Denver, just as Harris did in San Francisco as an elected district attorney.

The late, great Norm Early, my legendary boss and the only elected black district attorney in Colorado history, knew and liked Kamala Harris. Norm broke down racial barriers that Harris would break down two decades later in the Bay Area.

Colorado’s 39th Attorney General, the only Jewish AG elected in Colorado history, recently hosted Kamala Harris and Colorado’s second gentleman. Colorado’s top law enforcement officer told me he loves being a prosecutor, that Vice President Harris has been an outstanding attorney general, and that she’s “all about solving problems.”

Harris’s compelling memoir, “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey,” explains her love of big-city prosecution. Her first chapter is titled “For the People.” Achieving justice sometimes requires a trial. But if there is reasonable doubt, the charge should be thrown out and the accused released. Justice and truth are the stock in trade of an ethical prosecutor. So is the Constitution.

Harris would not have lasted long as a prosecutor without competitiveness, compassion and resilience. She knows how to light up a room and ask tough questions. Criminal juries appreciate a prosecutor who exudes good humor, comfort, and confidence. This is exactly what American voters crave.

But it’s not just about charisma. Harris has the experience to back him up. She’s reviewed more homicide files than most people read in menus. She is taken by sexual predators, scammers and scammers of all kinds. She hired dozens of competing prosecutors to fight for truth and justice.

America’s presidential election tide began to turn with Harris’ remarkable opening statement, in which he showed his command, as he had done in countless courtrooms before. This could be the kind of landslide that most criminal cases become. Think New York vs. Trump. Voters, like jurors, will come to see that the prosecutor is right and the other side is wrong – very wrong!

The case against Trump is easy to make, and the inconsistent cases against Harris will fall apart. Tough prosecutors never let personal attacks slow their progress.

Donald Trump and JD Vance are an odd and humorless duo. Kamala Harris exudes joy and positivity. She also exudes power. Her political party united. The Democratic Vice Presidential hopefuls, many experienced prosecutors, show their talents and respect for the top prosecutor, Vice President Harris.

At the LBJ Ranch, President Biden laid out the many reasons for reforming the US Supreme Court. He once again recounted his decision to become a public defender to help poor black defendants fight the government. That was then.

We need Kamala Harris now to win the case against Trump-Vance. Our next president has to deal with the inevitable MAGA crap when they inevitably cry foul after losing. Post-verdict appeals are routine for prosecutors.

Donald Trump is the most famous criminal in America. We don’t need presidents of public defenders anymore. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis praised Harris as a “tough as nails” prosecutor to CNN’s Laura Coates.

Vice President Harris has his sights set on the biggest election verdict in American history. How perfect is this match? A prosecutor in his prime versus a serial killer and sex offender in serious decline. This could be a landslide victory for Attorney Harris, Democrats and democracy.

Prosecutor Harris appears to be up to the challenge. Her apprenticeship at the White House served her and us. As the Trump team calls Harris a “criminal guy,” remember: This is a trial prosecutor who has regularly convicted Bay Area juries. Having done that, defeating Trump may be a cakewalk in Golden Gate Park — or rather, Pennsylvania Avenue.

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