Monterey County District Attorney's Office
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Speakers Bureau The Speakers Bureau is a community outreach and education program that matches qualified members of the District Attorney’s staff with community groups and organizations wishing to learn more about various aspects of the criminal justice system. The program is free and available to the public. Entities such as neighborhood organizations, educational institutions, faith-based groups, and clubs or organizations should feel free to request a speaker for meeting or gathering. |
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Community Events
25th Annual Victims' Dedication Ceremony
Annual Police Memorial National Night Out - To be announced Public Safety Night - To be announced |
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The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office will serve as a strong voice for the community on important public safety issues. With a focus on legislative issues, the government relations team will take a proactive role in shaping laws that impact public safety. |
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Legislative Issues Assembly Bill 109 Realignment, which shifted thousands of state prison inmates to local jurisdictions. Proposition 47, which dramatically reduced the crime and consequences for drug users and thieves. Proposition 57, which eliminated prosecutors’ ability to directly send a juvenile accused of a serious or violent offense to adult court and created a new criteria for early release of prisoners from state prison. |
Bills Supported |
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Programs and Services A Victim Assistance Advocate will speak with you and determine how we can assist you. Program services are provided free of charge and there is no legal citizenship requirement to receive assistance. |
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Facility Dogs
Family Justice Center
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Upon the request of the jurisdictional law enforcement agency the
Monterey County District Attorney’s Office will investigate and
independently review an officer-involved shooting incident resulting
in injury or death, as well as all other uses of force resulting in
the death of individuals while in custody or under the control of
law enforcement officers. This review addresses whether the
officers involved committed any violation of criminal law. It
does not consider issues of civil liability, police tactics, or
department policies and procedures.
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Our Mission |
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Policies
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Frequently Asked Questions |
| Forms | Brochures | Career Opportunities Public Records Act Requests | Local Agencies/Resources |
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The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of
Investigation consists of 32 full time employees and multiple
volunteer interns. The Bureau of Investigation is managed by
Chief Investigator Ryan McGuirk who reports directly to District
Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni and has overall responsibility for
Bureau operations and resource allocation. Chief McGuirk manages the
Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of two (2) District
Attorney Captains. In addition to these command staff, the
Bureau of Investigation has twenty-four (24) Investigators, six (6)
Investigative Aides and several volunteer investigative interns.
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| Collaborative Courts | Criminal Prosecutions | Specialty Units | Fraud |
|
Speakers Bureau The Speakers Bureau is a community outreach and education program that matches qualified members of the District Attorney’s staff with community groups and organizations wishing to learn more about various aspects of the criminal justice system. The program is free and available to the public. Entities such as neighborhood organizations, educational institutions, faith-based groups, and clubs or organizations should feel free to request a speaker for meeting or gathering. |
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| Suggested Topics | |||
|
|
|
|
| Speaker Request Form | |||
| Multi-Cultural Community Council | |||
|
Programs and Services A Victim Assistance Advocate will speak with you and determine how we can assist you. Program services are provided free of charge and there is no legal citizenship requirement to receive assistance. |
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|
|
|
Facility Dogs |
|
Upon the request of the jurisdictional law enforcement
agency the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office will
investigate and independently review an officer-involved
shooting incident resulting in injury or death, as well as
all other uses of force resulting in the death of
individuals while in custody or under the control of law
enforcement officers. This review addresses whether
the officers involved committed any violation of criminal
law. It does not consider issues of civil liability,
police tactics, or department policies and procedures.
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| Press Releases |
| Press Release Archives |
| Social Media Links |
| Press Conference Videos |
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Our Mission |
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Policies | Frequently Asked Questions |
| Forms | Brochures | Career Opportunities Public Records Act Requests | Local Agencies/Resources |
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The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of
Investigation consists of 32 full time employees and
multiple volunteer interns. The Bureau of
Investigation is managed by Chief Investigator Ryan McGuirk
who reports directly to District Attorney Jeannine M.
Pacioni and has overall responsibility for Bureau operations
and resource allocation. Chief McGuirk manages the Bureau of
Investigation with the assistance of two (2) District
Attorney Captains. In addition to these command staff,
the Bureau of Investigation has twenty-four (24)
Investigators, six (6) Investigative Aides and several
volunteer investigative interns.
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Meet the District Attorney
Ms. Pacioni received her Bachelor of Science degree from Northern Arizona University. After receiving her Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of San Diego, School of Law in 1990, she became licensed to practice law in the states of California and Arizona. In 1990, she worked as a Deputy District Attorney for the Kern County District Attorney’s Office and in 1992 she joined the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.
In 2001, she left to raise her family, returning after an 8-year sabbatical during which time she also served as a Grand Juror of the Monterey County Civil Grand Jury, and as President of the Junior League of Monterey County. In 2012, she joined the National Charity League of Monterey Bay, of which she has served as a member of their Board of Directors. Ms. Pacioni was formerly a Board Member of the Monterey Rape Crisis Center, and is currently a member of the Monterey County Children’s Council and the Child Abuse Prevention Council. She is also a member of the Monterey County Bar Association and the California District Attorneys Association and the Monterey County Chief Law Enforcement Officers Association.
Ms. Pacioni has devoted her entire legal career to the pursuit of justice while handling virtually every type of criminal case prosecuted in Monterey County. For 20 years as a prosecutor, she has tenaciously represented victims of crime in numerous high-profile cases involving murder, gang crimes, vehicular manslaughter, assault, robbery, child molestation, adult sexual assault, and elder abuse. On November 21, 2019, Ms. Pacioni was recognized by the Monterey County Women's Lawyers Association as the 2019 recipient of the Lady Justice Lifetime Achievement Award for Legal Advocacy and Community Service.
In 2018, she was elected and became the first female District Attorney in Monterey County.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Press Releases
DISTRICT ATTORNEY PACIONI SUPPORTS ASSEMBLY BILL 46 TO STRENGTHEN MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION LAW
Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced today support for Assembly Bill 46 (Nguyen), legislation that would give courts greater discretion to consider public safety when deciding whether a defendant should receive mental health diversion. This bill closes legal loopholes in California’s mental health diversion law by restoring judicial discretion and ensuring the program provides treatment while protecting community safety.
Mental health diversion, created under Penal Code §1001.36, was designed to help individuals suffering from mental illness receive treatment instead of incarceration. However, recent court rulings and statutory limitations have significantly restricted judges’ ability to deny diversion, even in serious and violent cases, leaving courts with limited authority to evaluate whether diversion is truly appropriate.
Under current law, once a defendant meets certain statutory criteria, judges have very limited discretion to deny diversion. Courts have even been forced to approve diversion in cases where no clear treatment plan exists, community safety is at risk, or where defendants have failed prior treatment efforts, due to how the statute is written and interpreted by appellate courts.
Further, once a defendant completes Mental Health Diversion (which often consists of only brief outpatient treatment rather than any inpatient care), the crime is removed from the defendant’s criminal history, removing accountability for dangerous crimes as if the crime was never committed. This puts victims, law enforcement and communities at risk if the program is not implemented properly.
AB 46 addresses these concerns by allowing courts to consider whether a proposed treatment plan is clinically appropriate to address the mental health disorder underlying the offense and whether a defendant poses a substantial and undue risk to the physical safety of another person if treated in the community.
A recent case in Monterey County highlights the need for courts to have greater discretion when making diversion decisions. On July 2, 2024, Jane Doe and her husband were driving through downtown Monterey when the defendant ran toward their car and threw a knife at it, shattering the passenger-side window where John Doe was seated. The knife flew into the vehicle and bounced around inside as glass exploded throughout the car, creating a situation where the blade could easily have lodged in one of the victims or severely cut them, while shards of glass scattered across the interior. Officers recovered a folding knife with a 3-inch blade from the back seat. The attack was entirely unprovoked and targeted two strangers who had no prior connection to the defendant. After fleeing, the defendant admitted he acted out of road rage and told officers he “wanted to teach this guy a lesson.” Defendant admitted he has an anger problem and “I saw red.” Even afterward, he blamed the victim entirely, stating the incident “all boiled down to the driving” and that if the driver had not driven the way he did, “I would have been fine.”
The defendant’s conduct is particularly concerning given his history of similar behavior. He previously sustained a felony vandalism conviction stemming from what he described as another “road rage” incident. He also has a prior domestic violence conviction and admitted that court-ordered anger management classes from his prior case were “a waste of time” and that he “didn’t learn anything.” Taken together, the defendant’s repeated violent conduct, refusal to accept responsibility, and disregard for prior court-ordered intervention demonstrate a serious and ongoing threat to public safety.
The court granted the defendant mental health diversion and ordered him to follow a treatment plan requiring him to take prescribed medications, attend therapy and psychiatric appointments, participate in medication management, work with a care coordinator, attend recommended group and peer support services, participate in substance abuse meetings, and engage in psychoeducation, along with other conditions. He remains out of custody and is not enrolled in any inpatient treatment program while completing this diversion plan.
“Diversion was meant to help people with serious mental health needs get treatment, but right now the system isn’t working the way it should,” said Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni. “It shouldn’t become a loophole that allows dangerous offenders to avoid accountability.
Preventing recidivism and protecting public safety requires that judges be able to carefully evaluate whether a proposed mental health treatment plan will address the behavior that led to the crime, while also considering any facts that may show a substantial and undue risk to the physical safety of others before granting diversion. AB 46 gives courts the discretion to look at the whole situation and make decisions that balance treatment with public safety.”
AB 46 will be heard in the Senate Public Safety Committee on March 17. Members of the public can watch the hearing live at 8:30 a.m. at: https://spsf.senate.ca.gov/committeehome.
Contact Us
Main Office
142 W. Alisal Street, Suite A, Salinas, California 93901
Monterey Office
1200 Aguajito Rd. Room 301, Monterey, California 93940
King City Office
250 Franciscan Way, King City, California 93960
Phone: (831) 755-5070
Fax: (831) 755-5068
Email: publicinformation@co.monterey.ca.us