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The Impact of Backlash on Reform Prosecutors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 April 2026

Joshua M. Davis Open the ORCID record for Joshua M. Davis [Opens in a new window]  and
Whitney K. Taylor Open the ORCID record for Whitney K. Taylor [Opens in a new window]
Joshua M. Davis
Affiliation:
Department of Journalism, San Francisco State University , San Francisco, USA
Whitney K. Taylor*
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, San Francisco State University , San Francisco, USA
*
Corresponding author: Whitney K. Taylor; Email: wktaylor@sfsu.edu
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Abstract

Backlash has become commonplace against elected officials across the United States. This is especially true for reform prosecutors, who seek to move away from traditional, tough-on-crime approaches to prosecution. How do prosecutors make sense of backlash to reform policies? How do prosecutors respond to attempts to limit their discretion, remove them from office, or otherwise inhibit their power? We draw on 68 interviews with prosecutors from 33 states and find that reform prosecutors report a chilling effect of backlash, which has pushed some out of office and forced others to carry out reforms under personally and professionally fraught conditions.

Keywords

prosecutorsbacklashreform

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Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Law and Courts , First View , pp. 1 - 26
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Law and Courts Organized Section of the American Political Science Association

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