David
- May 14
- 2 min read

For Steve Howe it's politics not justice.

Updated: Jul 24

Leadership can be shown in many different ways. I prefer leading by example and being a vocal leader. I won’t ask someone to do something that I won’t do myself, which is one of the reasons I love being a trial attorney. I also believe in using my platform to advocate for things that are meaningful to me. Using your platform and voice is a vital part of leadership. Whether it was acting as the President of the Emerging Leaders for the Love Fund for Children and KVC, teaching young prosecutors trial skills with the National District Attorney’s Association, or managing the District Attorney’s Office’s interns, it is important to talk the talk and walk the walk.

It is also very easy to spot bad leadership. The current District Attorney, Steve Howe, frequently touts his strong leadership and foresight into emerging trends in criminal justice. Unfortunately, the facts and statistics don’t back up his claim.

At our forum with the Northeast Johnson County Conservatives, Steve told the crowd that he has been at the forefront of dealing with the fentanyl epidemic for years. Unfortunately, out of the 148 fentanyl deaths between 2018 and 2022, he only charged 8 people. Actions speak louder than words and the actions from the District Attorney speak volumes about where he stands on getting justice for the victims of fentanyl.

But its not just his lack of prosecutions that show weak leadership. Steve Howe has not used his platform as District Attorney to increase awareness or make any real efforts to fight the fentanyl epidemic. Between 2020 and 2023, he made a total of four posts on Facebook about Fentanyl. Once in March 2023, twice in April 2023, and once in October 2023. In his annual report, there was no mention of fentanyl in 2020 or 2021, even as the coroner’s office noted a 65% increase in overdoses. It wasn’t until 2022 that the epidemic even made it to page 4 of the 6-page annual report.

In 2024, an election year, Steve Howe boasts about his supposed crusade against fentanyl. But over the last four years he has been suspiciously silent on the fentanyl crisis. Not a single word uttered about the devastating toll it was taking on our communities on Facebook until 2023 and nothing in his annual published report until 2022. Even in 2023, when the death toll soared to nearly 200 lives lost, with a pitiful eight cases charged, Steve Howe remained eerily quiet.

Don't be duped by Steve's sudden fervor for justice. He wants you to believe he's the hero in this fight, but the truth is glaringly obvious: he didn't lift a finger until the pressure mounted and someone else dared to shine a spotlight on the issue. Steve may claim it's about justice, not politics, but his actions—or lack thereof—scream otherwise. When the chips were down, Steve Howe was nowhere to be found until forced into the spotlight. We deserve better. We deserve a leader who doesn't wait for tragedy to strike before taking action. It's time to hold Steve Howe accountable for his negligence and demand real, proactive solutions.

-DG