Please welcome Napa Assistant District Attorney Diane Knoles.

Betty: Thank you for joining us this morning, Diane. Please share a bit of your story with us before you come to Napa, as well as shed some light on your relatively new work with our District Attorney, Allison Haley.

Diane: “Thanks, Betty. I attended local schools and still live nearby with my husband and two daughters. I just turned 62 and am seeing that I have aged in the population that I am now focusing on protecting! I joined the Napa District Attorney’s Office in June 2020. I enjoy working for DA Allison Haley, who is deeply committed to public safety and understands the importance of her role in enforcing our laws.

A bit of my story before I came to Napa: In 1986, I started working in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, starting with the Misdemeanor Unit. From then until 1996, the SFDA office was

led by former Assistant Attorney General Arlo Smith and his team of talented career prosecutors. At that time, the SFDA office was well respected and I learned from my supervisors and colleagues to prioritize the needs of victims and seek justice for them and for the community.

I moved to the Preliminary Hearings Unit, then I became the Deputy Supervisor of the Trial Division of Crimes. I have also worked in the domestic violence, narcotics and sexual assault units. For many years, I worked in the Special Prosecutions Unit dealing with Insurance Fraud and other complex and high profile cases, and it was there that the first Unit Against Child Abuse. San Francisco seniors started. Eventually, I became head of the admissions unit, which made most of the billing decisions for the office. I have also dealt with homicides for several years and in May 2020 resigned my position as Head of the Homicide Unit.

I feel so lucky to be working at the Napa County Attorney’s Office in Napa, the DA is focused on victim rights enforcement and doing our best to ensure justice prevails. This point of view is in line with my own philosophy, so it is a great pleasure to come to work every day.

Betty: Since arriving in Napa, what have you realized about the Napa County community that is different from your previous experience in San Francisco?

Diane: DA Allison Haley understands her important role in the safety of this community. Allison works hard to ensure that her lawyers have the necessary resources and she fosters an atmosphere that inspires her assistants to do their best and bring justice to victims.

Often people do not realize how important AD is in determining the quality of life of a community. I am very proud to work for Allison, who leads an administration focused on victims’ rights and justice that has a direct and positive impact on the quality of life of all citizens of Napa.

Allison believes in the separation of powers under our Constitution and understands that her role is not to make laws. Under Allison’s leadership, her MPs enforce the law impartially, using appropriate accusations, refinements, and allegations as desired by the California legislature and voters.

Betty: Well, I’ve read a few articles from the San Francisco Chronicle describing the alarming working conditions in the SFDA office and the impact of the new district attorney on San Francisco. How has your experience working at the SFDA office affected your transition to the Napa DA office?

Diane: “In Napa, it’s refreshing to focus on justice for victims, supporting law enforcement and ensuring public safety. When the prosecutor’s primary concerns revolve around criminals, public safety suffers. Public safety does not have to be political!

Allison recently opened the Monarch Justice Center, which embodies her unique vision of victim service. The Monarch Center is working with other Napa County partners and the nonprofit community to organize any comprehensive services that any crime survivor might need. It is available to all victims, but it primarily focuses on victims of domestic violence, elder abuse, sex trafficking, and sexual assault. It is truly a revolutionary concept that will serve as a model for similar centers across the country.

Betty: Diane, there is so much more that I want our readers to tell her about. Much more about the function of the Elder Abuse Unit, what you see in store for the future of the Napa DA office, etc.

Thank you very much for visiting today. Do you think we could get you back?

Diane: “That would make me happy, Betty.”

Thank you very much, Diane, for today and our future day.