ROSEMARY LEHMBERG ENDORSED BY RONNIE EARLE
Retiring DA Backs Top Assistant In Her Campaign to Move Office Into New Era
(AUSTIN) — Retiring Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, having earned a reputation over the past three decades for promoting innovative public safety policies and holding public officials accountable, today endorsed Rosemary Lehmberg, his longtime first assistant and top prosecutor, in the race to succeed him.
“I am deeply honored to have the support and endorsement of Ronnie Earle,” Lehmberg said. “He has given this community his vision and leadership and been a driving force behind building a district attorney’s office that is one of the most innovative and progressive in the nation. I know I will be fortunate, if elected, to build on such a strong foundation.”
Earle, who announced last month that he will not seek re-election, said he has counted on Lehmberg’s judgment and leadership through the years to help build one of the most respected district attorney’s operations in the nation.
“Rosemary Lehmberg has had a greater role in the success of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office than any other single person,” Earle said. “Our community is indeed fortunate to have such a gifted leader as Rosemary Lehmberg to serve as the next Travis County District Attorney.”
Lehmberg became one of Travis County’s first women assistant district attorneys and has been praised during her career for her work against child abuse and public corruption. She helped create the Center for Child Protection (formerly the Children’s Advocacy Center) and served as chief of the high-profile Public Integrity Unit. She has run the Career Criminal, Trial, and Major Crimes divisions.
In addition, Lehmberg helped create and was the first director of the Family Justice Division, a groundbreaking operation that deals with criminal child abuse, children’s protective services, parental kidnapping, and domestic violence cases.
“She has risen to the position of First Assistant precisely because of her leadership qualities, her judgment and her ability to set that crucial tone of respectfulness that brings people together and ensures open discussion and debate of differing ideas in the spirit of seeing that justice is done,” Earle said in endorsing Lehmberg.
A native of Taylor, Lehmberg moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas and earned her law degree from St. Mary’s University.
Lehmberg is a founding member of the Center For Child Protection and Child Protection Team, served on the advisory board of the Travis County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and was a member of the Texas Multidisciplinary Task Force on Children’s Justice. She was awarded the first Shauna Jacobson Team Leadership Award and has been named the Austin Chronicle’s “Best Lawyer for Children’s Issues.”
The Democratic primary will be held on March 4, 2008.
