SACRAMENTO COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY JAN SCULLY

Jan Scully has spent her entire life living in Sacramento. She attended Loretto High School, graduated from CSU-Sacramento and attended Lincoln Law School while working full-time for the state of California.

After graduating from Lincoln, Jan began working as a deputy district attorney in the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office. Five years later, Jan became a supervising attorney, supervising various prosecution teams including Adult Sexual Assault, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse, Felony Trials, and Research and Training.

Jan was first elected district attorney in November 1994 and has run unopposed since that time. She began serving her fourth term as district attorney in January 2007.

From the beginning, Jan has been interested in serving victims. She established an office policy requiring notice to victims before a felony case is resolved. She has also served as the chair of the California District Attorney Association’s Victim Rights Committee.

Under Jan’s leadership, the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office established the County’s Domestic Violence Multidisciplinary Death Review Team and the Elder Death Interdisciplinary Review Team. The Elder Death Review Team reviews suspicious deaths of elder adults and is a first-of-its kind committee in the nation.

Jan has also been very interested in getting citizens involved in the criminal justice system. In 1995, she established a Citizens Cabinet, a group of community leaders who advised Jan on matters of policies and programs. In 2001, she established the District Attorney Multi-Cultural Community Council, with community leaders from the area’s diverse ethnic, racial, and cultural communities, to help bridge the gap between their communities and the criminal justice system. In 2002, she started the Citizens Academy, a 10-week program for community members who wish to learn more about the District Attorney’s Office and the criminal justice system.

Jan’s Community Prosecution Unit, prosecutors who do their work in the community rather than in the courtroom, has received national attention for working successfully with community coalitions to solve quality-of-life issues in Sacramento.

Professional/Community Leadership
Former President, California District Attorneys Association (2005, first woman elected to serve as president) 

President, Institute for the Advancement of Criminal Justice (2006)

Chair, Sacramento County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council

Co-chair, Greater Sacramento Area Task Force on Hate Crimes

Member, criminal justice, public safety, and community advisory boards

Recognitions
Sacramento Business Journal, “Women Who Mean Business” Award

California Legislature, “Woman of the Year” Award

YWCA, “Touching Lives” Award

California State University Alumnae Association, “Distinguished Service” Award

Cities in Schools, “Outstanding Leadership” Award