The Female Prosecutor Who Will Question Ford and Kavanaugh

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced who will question Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh during Thursday’s hearing about Ford’s allegation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in 1982

Rachel Mitchell, an experienced prosecutor who has decades of experience prosecuting sex crimes, is on leave with the Deputy County Attorney in the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in Phoenix and the Division Chief of the Special Victims Division. She has served as a prosecuto since 1993. 

Mitchell also spent 12 years running the bureau in the Special Victims Division responsible for the prosecution of sex-related felonies, including child molestation, adult sexual assault, cold cases, child prostitution, and computer-related sexual offenses. She also supervised a satellite bureau responsible for the prosecution of felonies including child molestation, adult sexual assault, child physical abuse and neglect, elder abuse, stalking, and domestic violence.

She is a widely recognized expert on the investigation and prosecution of sex crimes and has frequently served as a speaker and instructor on the subject. Mitchell has for many years instructed detectives, prosecutors, child-protection workers, and social workers on the best practices for forensic interviews of victims of sex crimes.

So, in a nutshell, she knows her stuff. This announcement elicited some interesting response. And by interesting I mean insane.

Here’s The Washington Post‘s favorite “faux” conservative, Jennifer Rubin:

So because Mitchell worked in the same county as Sheriff Joe Aripaio, she’s guilty by association. 

I can’t tell if Rubin is really this ignorant or if she’s just trying to smear anyone whom Grassley would ask to do this. 

The Maricopa County Attorney is elected, and apparently in the bubble that Rubin resides, does not realize that prosecutors do not work for county sheriffs. So while she worked with the Sheriff’s Department as a county prosecutor, she did not work for them and was not part of “Sheriff Joe’s operation.”

As far as, “no self-respecting lawyer giving cover to GOP cowards,” what in the world is she talking about?

Does she want to learn the truth or does she want a political sideshow? Yes, certainly regarding optics, it’s good for Republicans, I won’t deny that, but regarding fact-finding having an attorney who specializes in this kind of case will help draw out more information than if you have various Senators asking questions.

Rubin’s tweet is simply nonsense.