Bonnie Dumanis

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Bonnie M. Dumanis (born December 16, 1951 in Brockton, Massachusetts) is currently the District Attorney of San Diego County. Dumanis has been the District Attorney since 2003, when she defeated incumbent Paul Pfingst.[1]

Dumanis received a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and her Juris Doctor degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 1976. Following graduation, she served as a Deputy District Attorney from 1978 to 1990. In 1994, she was elected to the Municipal Court where she would serve for four years. In 1998, Dumanis was elected to the San Diego Superior Court.[1]

Dumanis, a Republican, is the first openly gay or lesbian DA in the county.[2] She is also the first Jew and woman to hold the post of District Attorney in San Diego.[3]

Contents

[edit] Cases

[edit] D.C. v. Heller

Dumanis has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a ban on handguns in Washington, D.C. Dumanis participated in an amicus curiae brief in the case D.C. v. Heller pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, supporting the District of Columbia's ban on keeping functional firearms in the home for self defense, and on the possession of handguns.[4][5][6]

[edit] Cynthia Sommer

In April, 2008, a woman accused and convicted by Dumanis's office of murder, was released, after two plus years of incarceration.[7] Cynthia Sommer was convicted of fatally poisoning her Miramar Marine husband with arsenic. Charges were dropped on reasonable doubt after conclusions reached by toxicology experts during a review, prompted by the defense, of the evidence used for trial and conviction. Dumanis said that her office acted based on available evidence, when it charged Sommer with murder in March 2006 and tried her in January 2007.[8]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Wilkens, John (2003-01-05). Her path to success. Sign On San Diego. Retrieved on 2007-08-06.
  2. ^ Broder, John M. (2002-11-13). In a First, a Lesbian Is Elected District Attorney in San Diego. New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-08-06.
  3. ^ Lantry, Jim (2003-01-17). Three Jews Sworn Into County Office. San Diego Jewish Press-Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-08-06.
  4. ^ Richard Rider. "DA Dumanis 'Strong Supporter' of 2nd Amendment?", North County Times, 2008-02-27. Retrieved on 2008-03-02. 
  5. ^ "District attorney wants D.C. handgun ban upheld", San Diego Union-Tribune, 200801-14. Retrieved on 2008-03-02. 
  6. ^ Kamala D. Harris et al.. D.C. v. Heller Amici Curiae brief of District Attorneys in support of Petitioners. Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
  7. ^ http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_8970617
  8. ^ SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Metro - Case vs. Marine's widow is dropped

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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