Dallas County’s juvenile justice system handles cases ranging from serious violence to lower-level misconduct by young people with no prior record. Treating those cases alike does not make the public safer. Conduct that threatens public safety requires a firm response that reflects the harm caused and the risk of another offense.
Lower-level offenses, particularly by a first-time offender, may call for a different intervention—one that demands accountability without making future crime more likely.
“Justice requires that prosecutors recognize the difference between a young person who poses a genuine danger and one whose behavior can be corrected,” said Reed. “I will respond firmly to violent conduct, but I will not support decisions that push first-time, lower-level offenders deeper into the system and make Dallas County less safe in the long run.”
The District Attorney’s Office has substantial influence over that choice. Prosecutors decide which cases to file, what outcomes to seek and when diversion may be appropriate. Those decisions should be individualized, timely and grounded in the facts of the offense, the young person’s history, the risk to the community and the needs of the victim.
The Dallas County Juvenile Department 2025 Annual Report reveals why juvenile cases demand different responses. In 2025, 3,286 young people were referred to the county’s juvenile department. Their alleged conduct included 1,669 felony offenses, 1,480 misdemeanors and 513 cases involving conduct such as running away.
Reed supports reserving secure detention and the most severe prosecution options for cases in which the facts and public-safety risk justify them. When a young person is accused of serious violence, prosecutors must act decisively, communicate with victims and present the case based on evidence.
At the same time, the office should expand carefully designed diversion for eligible lower-risk cases. Effective diversion is not dismissal without consequence. It can require school attendance, restitution, counseling, substance-use treatment, family participation, mentoring or community service, with clear standards and consequences for noncompliance.
Reed said that programs should be evaluated by measurable outcomes, including whether participants complete required treatment, remain in school and comply with court requirements—not by the number of young people enrolled.
The office must also examine disparities honestly. Race, neighborhood, disability and family income should not determine which child receives an opportunity and which child receives the harshest available outcome. Consistent written criteria, supervisory review and transparent reporting can reveal whether similarly situated cases are being treated differently.
“Juvenile justice should be firm, fair and focused on what makes Dallas County safer five years from now—not only five days from now,” Eric Reed said. “We will hold young people accountable for serious conduct, but we will not confuse accountability with giving up on a child who can still change direction.”
A strong juvenile system does not choose between accountability and rehabilitation. It uses each with discipline. Dallas County needs a District Attorney’s Office that protects victims, confronts dangerous conduct and recognizes when a responsible intervention can prevent the next crime rather than merely punish the last one.
About Eric Reed for District Attorney:
Eric Reed is a Dallas trial attorney and former prosecutor with more than three decades of experience in criminal law, federal and tribal courts, and complex litigation. He is running as a write-in candidate for Dallas County District Attorney on a commitment to Promote Public Safety • Demand Fairness • Ensure Accountability.
To vote for Eric Reed, select the write-in option in the Dallas County District Attorney race and enter the name Eric Reed.
For more information, visit www.WriteinReed.com.
Media Contact:
media@writeinreed.com
-30-