Smart Justice Polling Regarding Accountability for State's Attorneys

In 2020, Smart Justice released public policy polling showing broad support among Connecticut voters across the ideological spectrum for commonsense measures to begin holding Connecticut State's Attorneys accountable to the public.

The research, conducted by Benenson Strategy Group between January 30 and February 5, 2020, included 510 telephone and online interviews with registered Connecticut voters across the state who indicated they were likely to vote in the 2020 general election. Thirty-six percent of participants identified as moderate, 32 percent as conservative, and 30 percent as liberal. Respondents were asked about their views on creating data-driven performance evaluations for state's attorneys, diversionary programs and other alternatives to incarceration, creating standard rules for fairness and anti-discrimination for state's attorneys to follow in cases, and general accountability for state's attorneys. 

Key findings include: 

• 86% of voters, including 91% of Democrats, 83% of Independents, and 81% of Republicans, support making state's attorneys undergo data-driven performance evaluations every two years to ensure there is no discrimination in their charges based on gender, age, race, or ethnicity, and that the same standards are being used state-wide. Nearly half – 48% – strongly support such a measure

Results are below.