Why are you running for office?
Prior to my leadership, this office had been mismanaged and neglected under a parade of failed prosecutors. I was worried about the future of our community if the destructive culture within our prosecutor’s office went unchecked. As a lifelong Hancock County resident, I knew that the people of this community deserved better than a figurehead politician looking for an easy paycheck. I was determined to revolutionize our prosecutor’s office. We now have the most effective office in the history of Hancock County, and I am running for re-election to continue our unparalleled success.
What makes you a qualified candidate for the position?
I’ve kept every campaign promise I made in 2014. I’m the only candidate to convict a murderer. Additionally, my office has convicted more killers, rapists, child molesters, and drug dealers in less time than at any other point in our county’s history. We’ve revolutionized the way in which we approach drug crimes and crimes against children. We’re proactive in not just prosecuting but also in working as a community partner to prevent crime in our county. We’ve eliminated the $100,000 deficit previous elected prosecutors had racked up, and we’ve saved taxpayers an additional $100,000 through fiscal conservatism.
What are your top three goals for the position?
1. Continue our unmatched success in the courtroom and our nationally recognized work against substance abuse addiction and the opioid crisis, while maintaining a balanced budget.
2. Continue our trendsetting work and community cooperation for the protection of our young people, to culminate with a fully functional Child Advocacy Center for Hancock County by the end of 2019.
3. Continue to work with law enforcement and our judicial system to ensure mental illness is handled appropriately and safely for the public, while exploring further options such as the possibility of a mental health court.
How would you structure your deputy prosecutor staff?
I’ve restructured our staff from the inefficient manner in which it previously existed where lawyers were “jacks of all trades and masters of none” to a better system.
The staff is currently structured in the most efficient manner possible, given the size of our county, our budget restraints, the number of prosecutors on staff and the manner in which the courts handle cases. We have prosecutors assigned to each court who can handle the variety of cases that we have at all times of the day. We also have highly trained deputy prosecutors that specialize in narcotics or sex crimes and are assigned to those corresponding cases regardless of court.
Should a prosecutor have a proactive role, outside the courtroom for deterring crime in Hancock County?
Absolutely. It’s not enough to be passive and wait for crime to occur and then prosecute it. Today’s complex and difficult public safety issues demand a proactive approach. The prosecutor should actively work in the community to prevent and reduce crime whenever possible. My work with NDAA Opioid Crisis Working Group, law enforcement, schools and community organizations such as The Landing Place, Nameless Creek Youth Camp and Love INC of Greater Hancock County, has been instrumental in deterring crime in our county and reducing overdose fatalities from opioid use by more than 25 percent from 2014 to 2017.
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Name: Brent Eaton
Age: 43
Party: Republican
Office sought: Hancock County Prosecutor
Occupation: current Hancock County Prosecutor
Political experience: Hancock County Republican Party Vice Precinct Committeeman, Hancock County Republican Party Precinct Committeeman and previous prosecutor candidate in 2006, 2010 and 2014
Family: Wife Susan, four children
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