County official to step down after Jan. 3
After she leaves office, Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley plans to work with 911 At Ease International.
Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley will retire after about 12 years in office.
Ms. Dudley, 69, announced her retirement in front of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Thursday afternoon and immediately threw her weight behind John Savrnoch, the assistant district attorney.
“This has been my dream job because of the people I have worked with, my friends and family who have supported me and this county, this incredible, incredible county that I have had the honor to serve,” Ms. Dudley said during an emotional press conference.
“I can proudly say every decision I made I felt was the right thing, and I’ll miss all that,” Ms. Dudley said.
Ms. Dudley would have been up for re-election in the statewide June primary. She said she will remain in her position until Jan. 3.
“District Attorney Dudley is a beloved institution in our county and a community builder extraordinaire. It has been a great honor to serve alongside her,” Joan Hartmann, the chair of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, said in a statement to the News-Press.
“She helped to revolutionize the D.A.’s office in a progressive direction — from treating survivors of sexual assault with deep compassion and respect through the extraordinary Victim Witness Program to her leadership in facilitating significant public safety improvements for Isla Vista, and with her recent announcement launching a restorative justice program in Goleta — Joyce led with professionalism, fortitude, and has a great collaborative spirit,” Supervisor Hartmann said. “I wish her the best in a well-earned retirement.”
After she leaves office, Ms. Dudley told the News-Press she plans to work with 911 At Ease International, an organization that helps first responders with trauma-informed counseling and other mental health support.
She also plans to teach a leadership class at the Santa Barbara College of Law, spend more time with her loved ones, continue to work on her athleticism and travel to Ukraine where she has family.
Her goal in office, she said, was to be an “advocate and voice for the voiceless,” pointing to her work with those in more vulnerable situations, such as victims of domestic and sexual violence, child molestation and animal abuse.
“I brought in a whole bunch of new programs. The emphasis has been on vulnerable victims and voiceless victims,” Ms. Dudley said.
With a gaggle of staff standing sentry behind her during the press conference, Ms. Dudley said she would miss most the people of the office as well as advocating for victims.
Gov. Gavin Newsom re-appointed Ms. Dudley chair of the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training in November. She has been a member of the commission since 2013, and she said she plans to continue her work to ensure California has the “best of the best” law enforcement officials.
And in September, Ms. Dudley was named co-chair of the national Prosecutors Against Gun Violence organization.
One of the first things Ms. Dudley did after she was first elected Santa Barbara County’s district attorney was “healing of the office.” She said the office was very divided when she took over, and she felt she needed to “heal your own home” before meaningful work could be done.
“And I feel that happened,” Ms. Dudley said.
Prior to taking the helm at the District Attorney’s Office in 2010, Ms. Dudley served as a deputy district attorney for 20 years. And she is the former director of Child Development Programs at the Community Action Commission of the County of Santa Barbara.
She received her juris doctor from the Santa Barbara College of Law.
Ms. Dudley said she made her decision not to run for re-election after Mr. Savrnoch said he would vie for the seat. It was important to her, she said, to have a succession plan in place to ensure the office would continue to thrive.
“I have complete faith in John being able to not just lead our office but to increase public safety and justice throughout Santa Barbara County,” Ms. Dudley said.
“I can say, I would not have retired if I didn’t think the office would go into good hands,” she later added in the News-Press interview.
Mr. Savrnoch was appointed by Ms. Dudley to serve as the chief deputy district attorney four years ago. He is a former deputy district attorney assigned to the Lompoc Division and a former longtime attorney for the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office.
“District Attorney Dudley has been more than a D.A. She is a mentor, she is a fierce advocate for public safety and she is a dear friend,” Mr. Savrnoch said. “To secure her support and her endorsement for my candidacy is an honor beyond compare.”
He vowed to keep a “victim first” mindset if he’s chosen to replace Ms. Dudley in the office.
Mr. Savrnoch received his juris doctor from the University of Wisconsin.
Even though she’s announced her retirement, Ms. Dudley isn’t hanging up her hat just yet. She said she planned to “take a very aggressive stance” on drug dealers to curtail the opioid epidemic.
“I love this town,” Ms. Dudley said.
email: kschallhorn@newspress.com
