DA Thomas W. Sneddon Jr. for Michael Jackson Trial
On January 3, 1983, I took office as the 33rd District Attorney of Santa Barbara County. I've been re-elected without opposition for 5 terms. On January 6, 2003, I will be starting my sixth term as the County's District Attorney.
I'm a native of California. I graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1963 with a BA degree in History and a JD degree from UCLA Law School in 1966. From 1967-1969 I was in the U.S. Army.
As I said, I am a career prosecutor. I spent nearly a year as a Deputy District Attorney with Los Angeles County. From November 1969 until May 1977, I served as a Deputy District Attorney in Santa Barbara County. In 1977, I was promoted to the position of Supervisor of Criminal Operations and held that position until my election. During my career, I have been the chief prosecutor in numerous major murder, robbery, rape, arson and bribery cases. I still try cases.
I was certified as a specialist in criminal law by the State Bar Association. I graduated from the National District Attorney's Association Career Prosecutors School at the University of Houston, Texas, in 1972 and the National Homicide Academy in 1977.
In December of 1983, I was appointed by Governor Deukmejian to the Governor's Crime Resistance Task Force. In September of 1985, the National College of District Attorneys at the University of Houston selected me to be one of four members of a National Advisory Panel to develop a program to train individuals how to implement and expand Victim/Witness Programs. In 1986 I was invited to join the faculty of the National College of District Attorneys, lecturing on Victim/Witness program issues, as well as Office Organization and Management, where in 1990 I was given a "Lecturer of Merit" award. I have also been on the faculty of the Santa Barbara College of Law since 1989 and the National Advocacy Center, Columbia, South Carolina, as well as an advisor to the American Prosecutor's Research Institute. In 1996 I was fortunate enough to be selected to attend the JFK School of Government at Harvard University. The National District Attorney's College honored me with its "Distinguished Faculty Award" in 2000.
I have been very active in the California District Attorney's Association and served as President during 1989-1990, and was re-elected to serve another two year term as a Director in 1995. I was Chair of the Committee for Child Support Enforcement since its inception in 1991. In 1993 I received a "Leadership Award" from the State Department of Social Services and later presented with a "Director's Award" in 1995 from the California Family Support Council. In 1996 I was appointed co-chair of the National District Attorney's Child Support Committee and invited by the US Attorney General Janet Reno to be a member of the Presidential Commission's Federal Task Force to review and enhance federal criminal prosecutions for failure to pay child support. In 1997 I was appointed Co-Chair of the National District Attorney Association's National Committee, appointed to their Board of Directors in 1998 and made a Vice President in 2000.
As you can see, family is important to me. So, not surprisingly is community involvement. For years I coached a variety of youth sports, including a stint as Jayvee football coach at a local high school. I am also on the Steering Committee for the local "Fighting Back Task Force" to develop a comprehensive community program to fight drug and alcohol abuse, as well as serving as a director on the boards of numerous volunteer organizations, including the Rape Crisis Center and the Domestic and Sexual Assault Coordinating Council, which elected me chairperson in both 1984 and 1985.
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