Janice Steidley is seeking the Democratic nomination for District Attorney in the 12th Judicial District, saying the office must provide better and more efficient service to the people of Rogers, Mayes and Craig counties.
Janice has experience as a prosecutor, drug court coordinator, attorney in private practice, college teacher, mother of three and school volunteer. The Steidley family’s roots go back four generations in Rogers County.
“It is time for a positive change,” Janice said in announcing her candidacy. “Solving the problems means breaking with the past.”
Janice says she will be a working prosecutor with her own docket of court cases, automatically adding a prosecutor to the District Attorney’s office. That will allow cases to be handled more promptly.
“My motto is, ‘Get it done’,” she said.
As District Attorney Janice says she will:
* Improve relationships between the DA’s office and the law enforcement agencies serving the counties, cities and towns in the 12th Judicial District.
* Spend time in the communities of the district so citizens can share their ideas and concerns.
* More aggressively pursue forfeitures allowed in certain criminal cases to provide additional funds for the District Attorney and law enforcement agencies.
* Ensure that the office makes prompt decisions on whether to prosecute, decline or seek further information on cases presented by sheriffs’ and police departments.
* Put the right people in the right positions in all three counties so cases are handled promptly, jails are not overcrowded and all citizens are protected.
Janice, 39, is a cum laude graduate of the Oklahoma City University School of Law, where she met her husband Larry during her first year.
They returned to his home town of Claremore, where she joined the District Attorney’s office in 1999, handling misdemeanors, felonies and juvenile cases in Rogers County,
In April 2003, she and her husband formed the Steidley Law Firm in Claremore, where she handles criminal defense, deprived and delinquent juvenile cases and guardian ad litem appointments to domestic and guardianship cases.
She has been Drug Court Coordinator for Mayes and Craig counties since 2003. The court works to rehabilitate certain offenders through intense treatment and supervision.
She also has served as a part-time adjunct professor at both Rogers State University and Northeastern State University, teaching courses in Torts and Litigation, Criminal Law II and Criminal Evidence.
The Steidley family includes children Nathaniel, 10; Matthew, 6, and Emily, 4. They reside in Verdigris and the children attend Verdigris Schools, where she is an active volunteer. She is a member of St. Cecilia Catholic Church.
“As a mother and a property owner, I want safe neighborhoods and effective use of our tax dollars. As your District Attorney, I will get the job done right,” she said.
Janice wants to hear from the residents of the district. They can contact her by calling 918-343-2060 or emailing Janice@SteidleyLaw.com.
