District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni has dedicated over 28 years to pursuing justice and advocating for victims. She earned her law degree from the University of San Diego in 1990 and has served as a prosecutor in Kern and Monterey Counties. In 1998, she launched Monterey County’s Sexual Assault Response Team to better support victims and strengthen forensic evidence collection. After a brief sabbatical for community service, including leadership roles with the Junior League and National Charity League, she returned to prosecution in 2009. Jeannine has handled complex cases involving murder, gang violence, child molestation, and elder abuse with tenacity and compassion.
Elected as Monterey County’s first female District Attorney in 2018 and reelected in 2022, she received the 2019 Lady Justice Lifetime Achievement Award for her legal and community service. In 2024, she opened the county’s first family justice center, Holding on to Hope, in King City and plans to expand access with two more centers in Salinas and Seaside.