Vision & Priorities

Behind every criminal case is a person whose life has been affected by crime.

Preston believes victims should never feel like an afterthought in the criminal justice system. They deserve to be heard, treated with dignity, kept informed, and given meaningful access to justice.

As Prosecutor, Preston will continue working to strengthen victim services, improve communication throughout the prosecution process, and ensure the voices of victims and their families remain at the center of the decisions that affect them.

Justice begins with remembering who the system is supposed to protect.

People who commit violent and serious crimes must face meaningful consequences.

Preston believes accountability is essential to both justice and public safety. When repeat and violent offenders are allowed to cycle through the criminal justice system without meaningful consequences, the result is more victims and less confidence in the institutions responsible for keeping our communities safe.

Preston will continue prioritizing the prosecution of violent offenders, repeat criminals, domestic abusers, gang-related crime, and those who prey upon the most vulnerable members of our community.

The message should be clear: if you victimize people in Spokane County, there will be consequences.

Fentanyl has devastated families and communities across Washington, and Spokane County has not been spared.

Preston believes we must recognize the difference between someone struggling with addiction and those who knowingly profit from poisoning our communities.

Treatment and recovery can provide a path forward for those battling addiction. But drug traffickers and dealers who knowingly distribute fentanyl and other deadly substances must be aggressively investigated and prosecuted.

Preston will continue working with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to target those responsible for bringing dangerous drugs into Spokane County and hold them accountable.

Prosecutors and law enforcement are partners in public safety.

Preston has spent his career working alongside the men and women who protect Spokane County. He understands that successful prosecutions begin with strong investigations, good communication, mutual trust, and a shared commitment to protecting the public.

As Prosecutor, Preston will continue strengthening relationships with law enforcement agencies throughout Spokane County and with state and federal partners.

Criminals do not care which agency has jurisdiction. Neither should the partnerships necessary to bring them to justice.

Spokane County cannot prosecute its way out of every problem, but it also cannot have a functioning justice system without accountability.

Law enforcement needs more tools, not less, to carry out their difficult and essential functions. Preston supports expanding alternatives to incarceration that do not jeopardize public safety. This includes expanding diversion programs and therapeutic courts that require accountability.

Reforms cannot come at the cost of public safety and services cannot endlessly be provided where an offender demonstrates no commitment to recovery. Preston supports creating common sense alternatives that provide offenders the opportunity to treat substance use or mental health issues, but require them to be strictly accountable to program requirements or lose the opportunity for an alternative sentence.

When a policy makes our neighborhoods safer, helps victims, and improves the administration of justice, Preston will support it. When it puts dangerous offenders back into the community without adequate accountability, he will speak up.

Keeping Spokane County safe requires more than winning individual cases. It requires building an organization capable of recruiting, developing, and retaining talented prosecutors and professional staff.

Preston believes strong leadership means giving employees clear expectations, providing opportunities for professional development, demanding accountability, and creating a culture where talented people want to build their careers. In his short time at the helm this is already well under way.

He will continue modernizing the office, improving efficiency, strengthening training, and ensuring taxpayer resources are focused where they can have the greatest impact on public safety.

The goal is not simply to manage the Prosecutor’s Office. It is to leave it stronger than he found it.

The Prosecutor possesses tremendous authority. With that authority comes an equally tremendous responsibility to exercise it fairly.

Preston believes every case must be evaluated on the facts, the evidence, and the law, not politics, pressure, personal relationships, or ideology.

That means having the courage to make difficult decisions, the humility to listen, and the independence to do what is right even when it is not the easiest or most popular choice.

For Preston, the standard is simple: follow the facts. Follow the law. Protect the public. Pursue justice.