Campaign for State's Attorney

Together we can

build a more just

Prince George’s County.

About

Stanford Fraser

Stanford's Story

Stanford Fraser is a Public Defender in Prince George’s County and lives with his wife, Michele Hall, in Largo Maryland. He graduated from Howard University, in 2013, where he studied History and Community Development. At Howard, Stanford volunteered with Amnesty International in their Repeal the Maryland Death Penalty campaign. As a volunteer, Stanford organized college students in DC and led protests and lobby sessions in Annapolis. Thankfully, Maryland repealed the death penalty in 2013.

Education & Beyond

After graduating from Howard, with honors, he attended Harvard Law School. At Harvard, he spent his second and third years representing

low-income tenants and homeowners facing eviction in Boston Housing Court. In this work Stanford would coordinate with community groups to have Harvard Law students provide legal advice at community meetings.

After graduating law school, Stanford clerked for the Honorable Judge McDonald of the Maryland Court of Appeals. As a law clerk, Stanford helped write and shape Maryland law. Since August 2017, he has worked as a public defender in the county representing individuals who could not afford to pay for a lawyer. During his time as a public defender, Stanford has tried over 100 criminal cases and has represented thousands of clients. Additionally, Stanford has testified in Annapolis on various bills such as legislation to ban no knock warrants, decriminalize personal possession of drugs, and require police officers to wear body cameras.

In the County, Stanford is an active member of various community groups. He is a member of the J Franklin Bourne Bar Association, Prince George’s County Young Democrats, and Progressive Maryland. Furthermore, he is a regular volunteer with Community Legal Services Of Prince George’s County. With Community Legal Services, Stanford has participated in numerous criminal record expungement fairs throughout the county.

THE

ISSUES

Decriminalize Poverty and Addiction

Jailing individuals with addiction or housing insecurity does not improve our community. Stanford will end the practice of criminalizing homelessness and addiction by automatically dismissing misdemeanor charges for: drug possession, disorderly conduct, obstructing and hindering, trespass, and disturbing the peace. Stanford will also coordinate with community groups to connect individuals struggling with poverty & addiction with resources.

Eliminate Mandatory Minimums

Prosecutors have the incredible power to decide what criminal charges should be used against an individual. Mandatory minimum charges have not only contributed to mass incarceration but are often used to coerce individuals into guilty pleas. Stanford will not charge individuals with criminal statutes that carry

mandatory minimums.

Do Not Call list of Police Officers with Credibility Issues

Currently, the State's Attorney's office has a "do not call" list of officers they won't use as witnesses in court because the officers have credibility issues. This list is not available to the public. Stanford will voluntarily release the do not call list to the public and add officers exposed by the ACLU's Graham report to the do not call list.

Treating Children as Children

Every day kids in Prince George’s County are prosecuted in adult court. Stanford will never prosecute a child in adult court.

Conviction Review Unit

Wrongful Convictions are a blight on society and must not be tolerated. Stanford's conviction review unit will focus on overturning wrongful convictions based on police or prosecutorial misconduct.

Criminal

Justice

Reform

Policing Accountability

Currently, officers who have been investigated by internal affairs for perjury, bias, and/or improper use of force are used in witnesses in criminal trials. And prosecutors actively work to prevent defense attorneys from having access to the records of misconduct investigations against police officers. Stanford’s office will voluntarily provide defense attorneys with the records of officer misconduct.

Supporting Reform in Annapolis

The State's Attorneys' Association is a powerful lobby group in Annapolis. Unfortunately, the association is often advocating against various reforms to the criminal legal system and policing. As State's Attorney, Stanford will remove Prince George’s County from the State's Attorneys association. Instead, he will use the office to be a voice for reform in Annapolis.