Outgoing King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg received his own day on Dec. 6 in the county.
King County Council Chair Claudia Balducci honored Satterberg for his 37 years in the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office by proclaiming Dec. 6, 2022 as Daniel T. Satterberg Day.
Satterberg worked the last 15 years as the elected prosecuting attorney. Voters elected Leesa Manion in November to replace Satterberg, who decided not to seek reelection. Manion has worked as the chief of staff for Satterberg’s office for 15 years, where she supervised over 600 employees.
Satterberg worked 17 years as chief of staff to Norm Maleng. He also was a trial deputy in the Special Assault and Drug Units and the first gang prosecutor, according to the proclamation.
“Dan has spearheaded the transformation of our criminal justice system at the local, statewide, and even national level by bringing racial equity to the forefront, inviting community partners into this critical body of work, developing innovative public health responses, and shining a spotlight on the need to invest in re-entry services,” Balducci said during the proclamation.
Balducci said Satterberg’s successful launch of programs to keep youth in school and out of the courts has measurably advanced juvenile justice reform, and contributed to the number of King County youth in secure detention decreasing from a high of 205 in 2005 to an historic low of 22 in 2021.
Satterberg was a founder of the nationally-recognized LEAD program, which has improved public health responses for people engaged in low-level crimes who struggle with behavioral health challenges in King County and across the country; and he fundamentally reshaped and strengthened support for victims in King County through increasing the KCPAO’s commitment to intentional victim advocacy and services.
“Dan was instrumental in cultivating the relationships necessary to effectively respond to gaps in criminal justice practice, advancing initiatives such as the Buyer Beware/Sexual Exploitation Program, the KCPAO’s Sentence Review Unit and clemency practice, Family Intervention and Restorative Services Program, and many more,” Balducci said.
Balducci closed the proclamation with the following words:
“Dan is not only a respected leader in public safety and criminal justice reform—whose legacy will be felt for generations to come—but is also a leader in rock music who will continue ‘rocking on’ in retirement.”
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