• English English English en
  • Español Español Spanish es
DA NewsCenter
  • Link to Facebook
  • Link to Youtube
  • Link to X
  • Link to Instagram
  • Link to Rss this site
  • Home
  • News
  • Video
  • Resources
  • About
  • Contact
  • Click to open the search input field Click to open the search input field Search
  • Menu Menu
  • DA Stephan Releases ‘2024 Annual Report’ Highlighting Public Safety Achievements

  • Meet the DA’s Lifer Hearing Unit

    The DA's Lifer Hearing Unit
  • Man Sentenced to Prison for Killing Wife, and Throwing Her Severed Legs in Dumpster

    Laurie Diane Potter
  • DA Stephan Denounces Dismantling of Human Trafficking Bill AB 379 by Assembly Public Safety Committee

  • One Safe Place North Celebrates ‘Leap to Confidence’ Graduation

Previous Previous Previous Next Next Next
12345

Latest News

DA Charges Burglary Ring Defendants Operating in Southern California

August 7, 2024

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan and San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl announced today that nine defendants have been charged in connection with 30 burglaries in the City of San Diego, following a lengthy investigation. The investigation spanned approximately 55 residential burglaries committed in California and Nevada. The total loss for victims in […]

Read more
https://danewscenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Residential-Burglary-Ring-News-Conference.jpg 720 1280 Barbara Medina /wp-content/uploads/2021/04/danews_logo-1.png Barbara Medina2024-08-07 18:14:262024-08-07 18:16:16DA Charges Burglary Ring Defendants Operating in Southern California

DA, County Counsel & Labor Standards Office Receive Grant to Prosecute Additional Wage Theft Cases

August 1, 2024

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today that her office, the office of County Counsel and the County Office of Labor Standards & Enforcement (OLSE) have received a grant that will assist in prosecuting and preventing wage theft, which is currently rampant among low-wage and non-English speaking workers. The Labor Commissioner’s Office is […]

Read more
https://danewscenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/W2-and-wage-.jpg 720 1280 Barbara Medina /wp-content/uploads/2021/04/danews_logo-1.png Barbara Medina2024-08-01 11:48:022024-08-01 11:48:02DA, County Counsel & Labor Standards Office Receive Grant to Prosecute Additional Wage Theft Cases

Juvenile Homicide Case Referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office

July 29, 2024

In March of this year, two minors were arrested for murder, attempted murder involving firearms, and other felony crimes which occurred in the County of San Diego. The District Attorney’s Office subsequently charged the minors for these violent and premeditated, offenses. Since that time, the District Attorney’s Office has worked closely with, local and federal agencies […]

Read more
https://danewscenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Gavel-and-US-flag.jpg 720 1280 Barbara Medina /wp-content/uploads/2021/04/danews_logo-1.png Barbara Medina2024-07-29 17:43:372024-07-29 17:43:37Juvenile Homicide Case Referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office
Page 23 of 138«‹2122232425›»

Video

The DA's Lifer Hearing Unit

The DA’s Lifer Hearing Unit

https://danewscenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Lifer-Hearing-Unit-2025-1.jpg 720 1280 Barbara Medina /wp-content/uploads/2021/04/danews_logo-1.png Barbara Medina2025-05-05 14:19:542025-05-06 13:09:42The DA’s Lifer Hearing Unit

DA Weekly News Update with DA Summer Stephan 05-01-25

https://danewscenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DA-News-for-YouTube-05-01-25.jpg 720 1280 Barbara Medina /wp-content/uploads/2021/04/danews_logo-1.png Barbara Medina2025-05-01 15:39:352025-05-06 15:41:37DA Weekly News Update with DA Summer Stephan 05-01-25

DA Weekly News Update with DA Summer Stephan 04-24-25

https://danewscenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DA-Weekly-News-Video-Update-THUMBNAIL-04-24-25.jpg 714 1288 Barbara Medina /wp-content/uploads/2021/04/danews_logo-1.png Barbara Medina2025-04-24 15:33:482025-05-06 15:37:47DA Weekly News Update with DA Summer Stephan 04-24-25

DA Weekly News Update with DA Summer Stephan 04-17-25

https://danewscenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DA-Weekly-News-Video-Update-THUMBNAIL-04-17-25.jpg 707 1293 Barbara Medina /wp-content/uploads/2021/04/danews_logo-1.png Barbara Medina2025-04-17 15:26:022025-05-06 15:38:14DA Weekly News Update with DA Summer Stephan 04-17-25

Citizens of Courage 2025: Group of Good Samaritans

https://danewscenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Good-Samaritans-CHP.jpg 720 1280 Barbara Medina /wp-content/uploads/2021/04/danews_logo-1.png Barbara Medina2025-04-07 18:11:152025-04-07 18:11:15Citizens of Courage 2025: Group of Good Samaritans

Citizens of Courage 2025: Robert Moore

https://danewscenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Robert-Moore.jpg 720 1280 Barbara Medina /wp-content/uploads/2021/04/danews_logo-1.png Barbara Medina2025-04-07 18:08:572025-04-07 18:08:57Citizens of Courage 2025: Robert Moore

More videos >

SDDA Facebook

San Diego County District Attorney

Mon May 12th

San Diego County District Attorney
In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month #AAPImonth, which is observed throughout the month of May, we are featuring stories of DA employees, what inspired them to pursue a career in public service and their contributions at the DA's Office. Meet Deputy District Attorney Shanish Aloor, who has been with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office for more than 17 years. He first joined our office as a Legal Intern, then a Graduate Law Clerk and finally as a Deputy DA. He is currently the team leader for the DA’s Workplace Justice Unit, which investigates and prosecutes crimes where workers are victimized including wage theft and labor trafficking. When he is not busy working, Shanish enjoys reading biographies of famous historical figures, especially those involved in WWII and the Civil War. Read more about what inspired him to pursue a career at the DA’s Office, below.What inspired you to pursue a career in public service? “When I was in college a close family member was murdered. This crime shook me to my core and made me want to empower victims. I went to law school with the idea of working in the criminal justice system to make a difference. As an intern with the DA’s Office, I saw all the positive impacts we could have on the community. “Why is AAPI Month important to you?“AAPI month is important because it acknowledges a group that has been historically invisible while highlighting its powerful emergence. Minority voices, including those of AAPI, seek not just to uphold the law, but to make it more just, human and reflective of the America that we all deserve. AAPI month gives us a platform to reach out to future leaders to inspire them to strive to make this a ‘more perfect union’.” ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

SDDA Instagram

sddistatty

‪🏛 Pursuing equal & fair justice for all.
⚖️ Prosecuting crime, Protecting victims & Preventing future harm.
No DMs. Contact: SanDiegoDA@sdcda.org

Sending warm wishes to all the mothers and mother Sending warm wishes to all the mothers and mother figures who make sacrifices, share wisdom, and fill our lives with love. Happy Mother's Day!
The former San Diego County Teacher of the Year, 3 The former San Diego County Teacher of the Year, 36-year-old Jacqueline Ma, who taught at Lincoln Acres Elementary School in National City, has been sentenced to 30 years-to-life in prison for sexually abusing two students.

Ma pleaded guilty on February 5 to two counts of forcible lewd act on a child, one count of lewd act on a child, and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material including allegations substantial sexual conduct and having multiple victims. She had been scheduled to stand trial in April.

“This defendant violated the trust she had with her students in the most extreme and traumatic way possible and her actions are despicable,” District Attorney @summerstephan said. “Her victims will have to deal with a lifetime of negative effects and her 30-year sentence is appropriate. No child deserves what this defendant did and I hope this sentence brings a measure of justice to the victims, their families and the community that was left reeling from this defendant’s crimes.”

In March 2023, the mother of one of the victims found inappropriate messages on a family tablet between the student and teacher. Ma had groomed the minor for over a year before performing sexual acts on the him when he was 12. The parents did not allow the boy to have social media or his own electronics, but Ma was able to get access to him by setting up an unsanctioned after school program and directing him to communicate with her through a school chat application.

The sex acts perpetrated by Ma occurred in her classroom while the parents believed their son was participating in an afterschool basketball program, and the abuse continued for a period of three months. Further investigation found that Ma had targeted and sexually assaulted another student in 2020. That boy was 11at the time. Ma had been grooming young boys with gifts, food and special attention and even completed their homework for them. She also gained the trust of the parents with her reputation and personal investment in their academic development.

(CONTINUED IN COMMENTS)
This morning, District Attorney @SummerStephan joi This morning, District Attorney @SummerStephan joined @asmlauriedavies at a North County Senior Scam Stopper Summit to speak with more than 200 seniors about the most common scams targeting seniors and how to avoid them. 
You can learn more about how to protect yourself and your loved ones from scams by visiting our website SanDiegoDA.com and search “Senior Scams.”
In this week's DA News Update, District Attorney @ In this week's DA News Update, District Attorney @SummerStephan was at the 39th Annual Law Enforcement Memorial and talks about the importance of the work our partner agencies do for our communities.
Today, District Attorney @summerstephan and the DA Today, District Attorney @summerstephan and the DA’s Chief Investigator Jorge Duran joined all the  San Diego County law enforcement agencies at the 39th Annual Law Enforcement Memorial ceremony to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. This year three names were added to the law enforcement memorial wall outside the @countyofsandiego office: Sheriff’s Deputy Herbert Sibert, SDPD Officer Austin Machitar, US Customs and Border Protection Air Interdiction Agent Jeffrey Kanas.
We will never forget their sacrifice.
At the end of the ceremony, all the local law enforcement chiefs took a group photo, as is customary every year.
The Lifer Hearing Unit at the District Attorney’ The Lifer Hearing Unit at the District Attorney’s Office handles parole hearings for some of the most dangerous criminals in the state by making sure they are not carelessly released from prison. Due to changes in the law, many of these inmates are up for parole sooner than expected, and the unit’s case load is increasing.

#VictimVoices #ParoleHearing #LiferHearingUnit #SanDiegoDA #DistrictAttorney
A 72-year-old man has been sentenced to prison for A 72-year-old man has been sentenced to prison for the gruesome murder and dismemberment of his wife in 2003, a case that remained unsolved for nearly two decades before it was cracked using Investigative Genetic Genealogy.

Jack Potter was sentenced today to 15 years-to-life in state prison for the 2003 murder of his wife, Laurie Diane Potter, whose legs were found discarded in a Rancho San Diego apartment complex dumpster over two decades ago. Thanks to the relentless efforts of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s Cold Case Homicide Unit, the case was solved in 2021.

“This was a brutal, calculated murder that shattered the lives of Laurie’s loved ones, who then had to endure nearly 20 years of unanswered questions and unimaginable grief,” San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said. “Thanks to the extraordinary work of law enforcement, our Cold Case Homicide Unit, and Deputy District Attorneys Julie Lynn and Mark Amador, justice has finally been served. Their dedication and refusal to give up on this case, no matter how much time passed, led to this long-overdue resolution.”

The homicide investigation began in October 2003, when a maintenance worker at the Country Hills Apartment complex in Rancho San Diego discovered a pair of severed human legs in a dumpster. Despite exhaustive efforts by law enforcement, the victim remained unidentified, and the case went cold. In 2020, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Homicide Cold Case Team used Investigative Genetic Genealogy based on DNA from the legs to possibly identify the victim.

This was the first time that investigators had used the new investigative technique to identify a previously unknown homicide victim. After further investigation, the woman was confirmed to be Laurie Diane Potter, 54, who had been living in Temecula in 2003 but had previously lived in the Rancho San Diego apartment complex.

(CONTINUED IN COMMENTS)

EN ESPAÑOL: https://danewscenter.com/?p=8496 

#ColdCase #Homicide #SanDiegoDA
💬 "The people spoke and now government must act 💬 "The people spoke and now government must act." 
— DA Summer Stephan

In a powerful opinion piece, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan highlights the critical progress made since the passage of Proposition 36, the Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act. Passed by 68% of voters statewide, this law is already making a difference — bringing accountability to repeat retail theft, holding drug dealers responsible, and, most importantly, offering real pathways to recovery through incentivized treatment.

Since December, the San Diego County DA's Office has filed nearly 900 cases under Prop 36. Repeat offenders who once faced no real consequences are now being held accountable. But beyond enforcement, the county is leading the way in implementing a countywide treatment system, showing what it means to turn public will into real change.

San Diego is doing its part — now it's time for the state to step up and ensure this foundation is built to last.

📢 Read her full op-ed and join the conversation about smart, compassionate justice: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/05/01/opinion-prop-36-off-to-strong-start-locally-but-government-must-do-more/

#Prop36 #PublicSafety #AddictionRecovery #SanDiegoDA #CaliforniaJustice #SummerStephan #SanDiego
In this week's DA News Update, District Attorney @ In this week's DA News Update, District Attorney @SummerStephan denounces the dismantling of an important Assembly Bill that aimed to protect children from human trafficking. #AB379
Follow on Instagram

Stay Connected

  • facebook
  • youtube
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • rss

Hall of Justice • 330 W. Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101
SanDiegoDA@sdcda.org | (619) 531-4040

© San Diego County District Attorney. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms And Conditions
  • San Diego County District Attorney’s Website
Scroll to top Scroll to top Scroll to top