Jean Peters Baker, JACOMO Prosecutor on crime, justice and public safety

Jean Peters Baker, Jackson County Missouri Prosecutor and the Prosecutors office’s stated purpose is to work to secure justice for crime victims and to improve public safety. The goal is to keep the community safe and to make it a great place to live.

The office’s most essential task is the daily prosecution of criminal cases on behalf of crime victims. It files about 7,000 criminal charges per year. It works jointly with community partners to improve public safety with strategies intended to reduce and prevent crime, especially violence.

Per the JACOMO Prosecutor’s office… “Crime injures not only the victim, but also the community as a whole. So we know we need the cooperation of the entire community and its citizens to achieve the fullest measure of justice and repair the harm that follows crime – for the crime victim and for the community.”

Jean Peters-Baker has spent much of her career putting some of the most violent and dangerous criminals behind bars and fighting tirelessly for victims¸ their families and the neighborhoods impacted by crime. As an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Jackson County for over ten years¸ Jean worked in nearly every unit in the office including sex crimes¸ community justice¸ domestic violence¸ drug¸ family support and as a Chief Warrant Officer and Trial Team Leader.
In addition to receiving Rookie Attorney of the Year in 2000¸ Jean has earned the respect and admiration of neighborhood leaders¸ small business owners and law enforcement. As coordinator for the Drug Abatement Response Team (DART) in Jackson County¸ she spearheaded a multi-agency effort to close drug houses that plague and erode our neighborhoods as well as motels that were known to be hotbeds of illegal drug activity. For her efforts in fighting the drug trade in Kansas City¸ Jean was honored with the Excellence Award for Advancing COMBAT Objectives given by the County Prosecutor¸ police agencies and community advocates.
But her efforts to make Kansas City a better place to live¸ work and raise a family do not stop with getting convictions in the courtroom. Jean´s care and compassion for the victims of violence and their families and her tenacity to ensure justice is served is what makes her an excellent attorney and public servant. In 2005¸ Jean was awarded the Victim Advocate of the Year by then-prosecutor Michael Sanders for championing the rights of crime victims and their families. Jean has also served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) representative and worked tirelessly for the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA).
And although Jean works hard to get a conviction in every case¸ she understands that we cannot rely on criminal justice system alone to improve our community. She also understands that offenders must be afforded opportunities to make new and better choices. Jean supports initiatives geared toward getting offenders back to work and living productively in our community. Jean donates her time and money to various initiatives that support quality public education and early childhood programs¸ mentoring programs for young people and adequate services to help support single working parents.
Jean grew up on a family farm outside of Jefferson City where her parents and mentors emphasized the importance of a good education. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in fine arts from the Columbia College in 1991¸ a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1995 and her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1998.
Prior to moving to Kansas City with her husband Doug¸ Jean was an active member of the League of Women Voters in Boone County in 1989 and held office as the public relations chair in 1991-94. After moving to Kansas City¸ Jean has become very active in the Women´s Political Caucus (WPC)¸ holding numerous board positions. She also served as the leader of the Kansas City office of the Sue Shear Institute¸ a bi-partisan organization dedicated to recruiting women to run for office and get more involved in government and public policy.
Jean and Doug have lived in the Brookside neighborhood since moving to Kansas City in 1995. They have three children: Christian¸ Brianna¸ and Grant. Jean and Doug have fostered/adopted two of their three children and are ardent supporters of foster care and adoption of Missouri´s kids.

Share This Episode