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Eli Savit
Savit in 2020
Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 2, 2021
Preceded byBrian Mackie
Personal details
BornAnn Arbor, Michigan
Political partyDemocratic
EducationKalamazoo College (BA)
University of Michigan (JD)
Websiteeli2020.com

Eli Savit is an American lawyer, law professor, and politician. He is currently serving as the Prosecuting Attorney in Washtenaw County, Michigan. His areas of expertise include civil rights, education law, environmental protection, state and local government, and criminal-justice reform.

Prior to his election as Prosecuting Attorney, Savit served as senior legal counsel in the office of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, and as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Savit is also a lecturer at the University of Michigan Law School.

Early life and education

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Savit was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Savit attended Kalamazoo College, and was chosen as the senior class commencement speaker. Following graduation, Savit worked as an eighth-grade social studies teacher. He then attended law school at the University of Michigan, where he graduated magna cum laude and served as the Book Review Editor on the Michigan Law Review.[1]

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After graduating from law school, Savit worked as a law clerk for Judge Carlos T. Bea on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and for Judge David S. Tatel on the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.[2] He then worked as a litigator at Williams & Connolly in Washington, D.C., before being selected to work as a law clerk on the United States Supreme Court for Justices Sandra Day O'Connor (ret.) and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.[3]

Following his Supreme Court clerkship, Savit returned to Michigan to work as an associate at the Detroit office of the Jones Day law firm.[4] Following Jones Day, he accepted an appointment as senior legal counsel in the Detroit Mayor's Office.[5] In that capacity, Savit oversaw thousands of public-interest lawsuits against banks and for-profit corporations, including suits against tax-delinquent corporate landlords and the opioid industry.[6][7][8] Savit also led the City's legal efforts in civil rights cases. He served as lead counsel for the City in Gary B. v. Snyder, a successful lawsuit which sought to establish that Detroit schoolchildren have been denied their fundamental right to literacy.[9][10] He helped lead the negotiations which ultimately led to a settlement in that case.[11][12]

In addition to his litigation work, Savit oversaw multiple legal matters for the City of Detroit.[13] Among other things, he led the negotiating team that, in 2017, struck a $48 million community benefits agreement with the Canadian government related to the Gordie Howe International Bridge, to be spent on job training, health monitoring, and environmental remediation in Southwest Detroit.[14][15] In 2018, he crafted an agreement with the ACLU and community partners to prevent home foreclosures throughout Detroit.[16][17][18] He also served as the top education policy advisor for the City of Detroit.[19]

Savit maintains an appointment at the University of Michigan Law School, where he teaches classes on public interest litigation and state and local government.[13] His academic work has been published in, among other journals, the Michigan Law Review[20] and the Michigan Journal of Law Reform.[21] Savit has authored pieces in multiple popular publications, including the New York Times,[22][23] the Detroit News,[24][25][26] Slate,[27] The Hill,[28] and MLive.[29] He is also a frequent contributor to the legal blog Take Care, where he primarily writes about environmental issues.[30]

In addition to his work for the City of Detroit, Savit has been a practicing environmental lawyer, representing the States of New Jersey and Maryland and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in lawsuits against companies such as Exxon and Shell.[12] He also regularly serves as a pro-bono cooperating attorney for civil-rights groups in Michigan. He has litigated in the Michigan Supreme Court on behalf of the ACLU, the League of Women Voters, and the American Association of University Women.[31] He also presented testimony to the Michigan Civil Rights Commission in support of Equality Michigan's successful effort to have the Commission declare that Michigan's civil rights law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.[32]

2020 election

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Precinct results
  Savit
  •   Savit—70–80%
  •   Savit—60–70%
  •   Savit—50–60%
  •   Savit—40–50%
  Savit/Slay tie
  •   Savit/Slay tie—48.62%
  Slay
  •   Slay—50-60%
  •   Slay—40-50%

In May 2019, Savit announced his candidacy for Washtenaw County prosecutor as a Democrat, vowing to "end the era of mass incarceration".[33] Savit's platform included the elimination of cash bail, more support for addiction and mental health treatment programs, and eliminating racial and socioeconomic inequity in the justice system.[33][5][12]

Less than two weeks after Savit announced his candidacy, 28-year incumbent prosecutor Brian Mackie announced his retirement.[34] Savit was endorsed by multiple elected officials and community leaders, including former Michigan gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed, State Senator Jeff Irwin, and three previous chairs of the Michigan Democratic Party.[12]

Savit ran for Washtenaw County Prosecutor against two Democratic primary opponents: Arianne Slay and Hugo Mack.[35] Savit's campaign attracted national attention,[36][37][38][39] and he secured endorsements from such high-profile national figures as Senator Bernie Sanders[40] and musician and activist John Legend.[41] On August 4, 2020, Savit won the Democratic primary for Washtenaw County Prosecutor, netting 41,673 votes (51%) compared to 35,380 (43%) for Slay and 5,504 (7%) for Mack.[36]

Savit faced no Republican opposition in the November general election.[42] On November 3, 2020, Savit won the general election,[43] netting 159,998 votes (98.78%), the most votes of any candidate on the ballot in Washtenaw County.[44]

Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney

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On November 10, 2020, Savit announced that he would appoint Victoria Burton-Harris as Washtenaw County's Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney.[45] Burton-Harris ran for Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney in the August 2020 Democratic primary against long-time incumbent prosecutor Kym Worthy. She is Washtenaw County's first female Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney.[45]

In the fall of 2020, Savit announced that the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office would no longer prosecute the use or possession of psychedelic mushrooms or other entheogenic plants.[46] Savit's announcement came on the heels of a City Council resolution in Ann Arbor—Washtenaw County's largest city—that deemed possession, use, and cultivation of entheogenic plants Ann Arbor's "lowest law enforcement priority".[47]

Savit was sworn into office on January 2, 2021.[48] During his first several weeks in office, Savit announced several major policy changes in the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office that garnered national attention.[49]

On January 4, 2021, Savit announced that the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office would no longer seek to hold people pending trial on cash bail.[50] Savit said that "whether someone is jailed should hinge on the threat they pose to the community, not their financial means."[50] Under Savit's policy, prosecutors make individualized recommendations regarding pre-trial release based on the facts of each case, but do not consider a person's wealth when making that recommendation.[50] The announcement of the policy made Washtenaw County the first prosecutor's office in Michigan not to rely on cash bail.[50]

On January 12, 2021, Savit also announced that the Prosecutor's Office would no longer seek charges related to the use, possession, or small-scale distribution of marijuana or entheogenic plants, citing the racially disproportionate impact of the "war on drugs."[51] The next day, Savit announced that the Prosecutor's Office would no longer charge the unauthorized use or possession of buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid use disorder.[52] Savit cited research demonstrating that prosecution of buprenorphine leads people in recovery to "backslide" and use more dangerous drugs like fentanyl and heroin.[53] He also noted that opioid overdose deaths fell by 50% when the prosecutor in Chittenden County, Vermont enacted a similar policy.[53]

On January 14, 2021, Savit announced that his office would no longer prosecute consensual sex work, instead focusing on human trafficking, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation of children.[54] Savit cited research demonstrating that the threat of prosecution makes sex workers and survivors of trafficking less likely to report crimes.[54] The move was praised by national advocates as a "win for marginalized people" and trafficked persons.[54]

Savit is partnering with the ACLU and the University of Michigan Law School on the "Prosecutor Transparency Project," a data partnership which will transparently identify racially disparate treatment in the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office.[55] The partnership, which is the first of its kind in Michigan, will make publicly available data related to racial disparities in the justice system.[55]

Electoral history

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2020 Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney Democratic primary[36]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Eli Savit 41,673 50.5
Democratic Arianne Slay 35,380 42.9
Democratic Hugo Mack 5,504 6.7
Total votes 82,557 100.0
2020 Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney general election[44]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Eli Savit 159,998 98.78
Write-in Rejected write-ins 1,978 1.22
Total votes 161,976 100.0

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Prosecutor Eli Savit". Washtenaw County, Michigan.
  2. ^ Lat, David (May 7, 2014). "Supreme Court Clerk Hiring Watch: Are Any Spots Left For October Term 2014?". Above the Law. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  3. ^ "MLaw alum earns coveted Supreme Court clerkship". www.law.umich.edu. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  4. ^ "Jones Day Continues Its Run on Former Supreme Court Clerks".
  5. ^ a b Editor, Sarah Payne Summer News (June 26, 2020). "In Conversation: Eli Savit, candidate for Washtenaw County Prosecutor". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved November 22, 2020. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  6. ^ Ferretti, Christine. "Detroit suits seek $30 million in unpaid property taxes". Detroit News. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  7. ^ "Detroit suing 700 property investors for unpaid taxes". Crain's Detroit Business. August 28, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  8. ^ "Michigan law shielding drug makers draws scrutiny amid opioid crisis". Detroit News. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  9. ^ "Detroit backs DPS students in literacy fight". Detroit News. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  10. ^ "In Detroit, a battle over the right to literacy". Marketplace. August 10, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  11. ^ Levin, Koby (May 21, 2020). "Inside the Detroit right-to-read case: How a settlement came together and a groundbreaking precedent fell apart". Chalkbeat Detroit. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  12. ^ a b c d "Ypsi Votes: Eli Savit's campaign for prosecutor focuses on large structural reforms". The Eastern Echo. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Savit, Eli - University of Michigan Law School". www.law.umich.edu. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  14. ^ Stafford, Kat. "Detroit church in path of Gordie Howe Bridge will be demolished, leaving only memories". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  15. ^ Ferretti, Christine; Rahal, Sarah. "Detroit council OKs protections for those near bridge". Detroit News. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  16. ^ "Foreclosures to be sold back to owners in ACLU, city settlement". Detroit News. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  17. ^ "ACLU, NAACP Legal Defense Fund Settle Tax Foreclosure Case, Enabling Low-Income Detroiters in Foreclosure to Keep Their Homes for $1,000". ACLU of Michigan. October 31, 2018. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  18. ^ Reynolds, Matt (July 5, 2018). "Distressed Detroit Homeowners Settle Tax-Foreclosure Lawsuit". Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  19. ^ "Federal funding for child care in Michigan: How should the unexpected $63 million be used?". Chalkbeat. February 7, 2019. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  20. ^ "The New Front in the Clean Air Wars: Fossil-Fuel Influence Over State Attorneys General- and How It Might Be Checked | Michigan Law Review". Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  21. ^ Savit, Eli (April 1, 2019). "States Empowering Plaintiff Cities". University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform. 52 (3): 581–614. doi:10.36646/mjlr.52.3.states. ISSN 0363-602X. S2CID 159427044.
  22. ^ Bagley, Nicholas; Savit, Eli (May 8, 2018). "Opinion | Michigan's Discriminatory Work Requirements". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  23. ^ Savit, Eli (November 8, 2019). "Opinion | Detroit's Schools Are Unconstitutionally Unequal (Published 2019)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  24. ^ "Bias against LGBT is on basis of 'sex'". Detroit News. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  25. ^ "Other views on Michigan Supreme Court gun decision". Detroit News. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  26. ^ Manville, Dan; Savit, Eli; Jahner, Monica. "Opinion: Fast-track release of lifers sentenced as children". The Detroit News. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  27. ^ "Eli Savit". Slate Magazine. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  28. ^ Tan, Anjelica (December 31, 2018). "States must empower city attorneys". TheHill. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  29. ^ Writer, Guest (February 1, 2016). "Why Detroit schools are crumbling - look at state's funding foundation". M Live. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  30. ^ "Eli Savit | Take Care". takecareblog.com. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  31. ^ "ACLU urges State Supreme Court to reject the legislature's attempt to undermine voters". ACLU of Michigan. June 19, 2019. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  32. ^ Staff, B. T. L. (May 21, 2018). "MI Civil Rights Commission Takes Action on Anti-LGBT Discrimination". Pride Source. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  33. ^ a b Stanton, Ryan (May 29, 2019). "Reformist candidate launches campaign for Washtenaw County prosecutor". mlive.com. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  34. ^ "Longtime Washtenaw prosecutor Brian Mackie says 'it is time' to retire". mlive. June 10, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  35. ^ "A Pivotal Race for Prosecuting Attorney - Three very different candidates promise to transform the criminal justice system". Ann Arbor Observer. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  36. ^ a b c "Reformist candidate Eli Savit wins closely watched Washtenaw County prosecutor race". mlive. August 5, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  37. ^ "Progressives Score New Wins in Prosecutor Elections, Adding to the Movement's Breadth". The Appeal Political Report. August 5, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  38. ^ "Portland, Oregon's Seismic DA Result Demands Our Attention". Filter. May 21, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  39. ^ "The "Progressive Prosecutor" Movement Spreads, But Unevenly". Filter. August 19, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  40. ^ "Bernie Sanders endorses Eli Savit for Washtenaw County prosecutor". mlive. June 5, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  41. ^ Editor, Julia Rubin Summer News (July 13, 2020). "John Legend endorses Eli Savit for Washtenaw County prosecutor". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved November 22, 2020. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  42. ^ Fair, David (August 5, 2020). "Eli Savit Prepping For Major Reforms In Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office". www.wemu.org. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  43. ^ Morrison | AP, Aaron. "Advocates of overhauling criminal justice cheer multiple election victories". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  44. ^ a b "Official Election Results: Washtenaw County, Michigan, Nov. 3, 2020".
  45. ^ a b "Washtenaw County prosecutor-elect names first female assistant chief". mlive. November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  46. ^ Jaeger, Kyle (September 29, 2020). "Michigan Prosecutor Won't Pursue Psychedelics Possession Cases Following Local Decriminalization Vote". Marijuana Moment. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  47. ^ "Ann Arbor decriminalizes magic mushrooms, psychedelic plants". chicagotribune.com. September 27, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  48. ^ "Savit sworn in as Washtenaw County prosecutor, begins work to reshape justice system". mlive. January 2, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  49. ^ "Sex Work and Magic Mushrooms Won't Be Prosecuted Anymore in This Michigan County". www.vice.com. January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  50. ^ a b c d Jackson, Angie. "New Washtenaw County prosecutor will stop seeking cash bail". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  51. ^ "Washtenaw prosecutor won't charge people for marijuana, shrooms, other psychedelics". mlive. January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  52. ^ "Washtenaw prosecutor won't charge people for unauthorized use of opioid-addiction drug". mlive. January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  53. ^ a b "Buprenorphine Policy | Washtenaw County, MI". www.washtenaw.org. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  54. ^ a b c Jackson, Angie. "Washtenaw County will no longer prosecute consensual sex work". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  55. ^ a b Bruckner, Meredith (January 5, 2021). "Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit launches transparency project with U-M, ACLU". WDIV. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
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