Prosecutor's Bio - Jean Peters Baker
Thank you for visiting our website. I am Jean Peters Baker, your Jackson County Prosecutor.
For the past 14 years, I've served in the prosecutor's office, beginning as an intern and working my way up to Trial Team Leader and Chief Warrant Officer. I was named prosecutor in May 2011 by Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders.
During my tenure, I've worked in nearly every unit of the office, from Sex Crimes to Grand Jury to Major Crimes. I've spent my career putting dangerous criminals behind bars. But I've also managed programs that give first-time or non-violent offenders a second chance.
I've been described as a tenacious litigator who carries a lot of compassion for crime victims. Neighborhood leaders, small business owners and law enforcement officials praised my efforts as coordinator of the Drug Abatement Response Team (known as DART). I spearheaded a multi-agency effort to close drug houses and businesses that erode our neighborhoods as well as motels that were known to be hotbeds of illegal drug activity. For those efforts, the county prosecutor honored me with the Excellence Award for Advancing COMBAT Objectives. I also won Rookie Attorney of the Year.
I want to make Jackson County a better place to live, work and raise a family. That means not only more convictions in the courtroom, but also continued caring and compassion for the victims of violence and their families. In 2005, I was awarded the Victim Advocate of the Year by former Prosecutor Michael Sanders for championing the rights of victims. I've also served outside of the office as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) representative and have worked tirelessly for the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA).
As Jackson County Prosecutor, I will be tough but fair. And I will continue to be a no-nonsense champion for families impacted by crime.
Among my priorities:
- Building more partnerships with metro law enforcement agencies and community groups to boost public safety and fight violent crime.
- Reaching out to the community with new neighborhood prosecution teams to address crime.
- Creating new programs to get offenders to complete their education and find work.
- Implementing a new electronic discovery system.
- Stemming gun violence with new programs, such as Gun Bounty.