I’ve traditionally been very wary about much of the criticism around DA Mike Schmidt, with the whole Schmidt show nonsense and heaping all the woes of the world at his feet. However, this seems very much a failure of leadership in an area in which it cannot be denied that he has complete control.

This section from Amber Kinney’s letter of resignation I found particularly damning:

The attorney management in our office is comprised of only one female (17% of total management), despite the current ratio for lawyers at about 50/50 men and women. Of the lawyers in leadership positions (management + Level 4 Supervisors), 80% are men and 20% are women (only 4 women). The very next level down, non-supervisors (Level 3 lawyers) are nearly 70% women.

The newly created designation of “Lead Level 3s” – the elite squad of major felony trial attorneys, recognized for our longevity in the office, complex caseload, and homicide call-out duty, but who are not supervisors – are almost all women (89% are women and 11% are men). This is a glass ceiling.

Under your leadership, seven consecutive men were promoted or hired into leadership positions. Under your leadership (or in anticipation of your leadership) eight high-level career lawyers have left our office, seven of the eight are women.