Issue Position: Toughness, Fairness In the Courts
Issue Position
Issue Position: Toughness, Fairness In the Courts
Jim Kitchens has seen both sides of the law.
As a district attorney, he prosecuted drug dealers, murderers and all kinds of criminals.
As a defense attorney, he defended people accused of drug-related offenses, murder and other assorted crimes.
No one can call Jim Kitchens soft on crime. His work as a district attorney and his time spent training young prosecutors and law enforcement officers speaks for itself.
Throughout his career, Jim Kitchens has:
* Taught criminal law to law enforcement officers at Copiah-Lincoln Community College
* Taught classes at the Mississippi Enforcement Officers' Training Academy
* Assisted with in-service training for the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics
* Assisted in teaching classes at Ole Miss and Mississippi College law schools
* Served as a mentor at Crystal Springs Middle School
* Served as a preceptor to law student interns from Ole Miss Law School
Jim Kitchens also knows that not everyone who appears before a judge accused of a crime is guilty. He knows that in America, every defendant regardless of their guilt or innocence is entitled to a fair defense.
Jim Kitchens believes in:
* Law enforcement agencies' having all the tools necessary to rid our communities of crime.
* Every defendant's having competent representation so that justice may be properly decided.
* Victims of violent crimes' having certain rights as their cases are investigated and prosecuted.
* Defendants' being treated fairly and presumed innocent until proven guilty, at which time their punishment should be equal to the crime they committed.
* Similar punishments for similar crimes, regardless of a person's race, financial standing, family ties or political connections.
"I won't do favors for the guilty," Jim Kitchens said. "At the same time, I won't presume someone's guilt or innocence without first hearing both sides of the case. I'll treat everyone fairly, and I'll ensure to the best of my ability that everyone is given a fair shake."
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