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Sonoma County District Attorney
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Meet the DA

Attorney PassalacquaIn March of 2002, Stephan Passalacqua was elected as the youngest District Attorney in the state of California.  Inaugurated on January 6, 2003, as the 35th District Attorney for the County of Sonoma, District Attorney Passalacqua promised consistency in the application of equal justice under the law in protecting our communities.  In June of 2006, he was elected to a second term.  On January 9, 2007, he took the oath of office for four more years.

Mr. Passalacqua was born and raised in Sonoma County.  He is the fourth generation of Italian-Irish heritage.  His parents, a retired teacher and lawyer who both were actively involved in their community, instilled in him a strong commitment to public service and respect for the elderly.

Mr. Passalacqua attended public schools and became a standout student-athlete in high school football, basketball and tennis.  He enrolled at the University of California at Davis, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Spanish in 1985.  He is bilingual in Spanish.  Mr. Passalacqua received his Law Degree from Santa Clara University School of Law with distinction as a Public Interest Scholar.  In January 1989, retired District Attorney Gene L. Tunney, who served as DA from 1972 to 1994, hired Mr. Passalacqua as a Deputy District Attorney.  Mr. Passalacqua has played a key role in fighting crime and gained recognition for his fair, tough and effective prosecution of complex cases including sexual assaults, domestic violence and other violent crimes.  Throughout his career, Mr. Passalacqua has fought to prevent and reduce the incidence of crime in Sonoma County.  As District Attorney, his top priority is crime prosecution, but his goals are crime prevention and to expand services to victims of crime.

Mr. Passalacqua has taken a leadership role locally and statewide.  He served as a mentor with Social Advocates for Youth, and was a past Board member for Community Support Network.  He is a member of the Advisory Board for Kidstreet Learning Center.  In 2003, he created a homicide unit to ensure that the most experienced prosecutors are handling the most serious cases in an effective manner.  In 2004, he successfully received a federal grant from the Department of Justice to hold events during National Crime Victims Rights week for the first time in the history of the District Attorney’s office, and for six consecutive years his office held events to raise public awareness about victims’ issues and concerns.  In May 2005, the DA’s office held a public-private Elder Abuse Summit in Sonoma County, with one of the largest turnouts statewide, to raise the public awareness of the financial exploitation of our seniors.  In October 2006, his office hosted the first statewide California Gang Summit to raise public awareness of the regional nature of gang activity throughout the state.  In 2007, the District Attorney published the first Report to the People, highlighting the efforts of this office in ensuring public safety for the people of Sonoma County.  In 2008, his office also held numerous public forums, including topics such as internet safety, identity theft, and bike safety.

In the spring of 2009, after many months of work, Mr. Passalacqua was instrumental in obtaining a $300,000 grant, from the California Endowment, to create a Family Justice Center.  The Family Justice Center has been identified as the best national model for delivering comprehensive services to victims.

District Attorney Passalacqua recently launched a new gang prevention program called GREAT (Gang Resistance Education and Training) partnering  with the Boys and Girls clubs in Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and the Sonoma Valley.  The GREAT program is designed to assist elementary school kids in making good choices to avoid the dangers of joining a gang.

District Attorney Passalacqua is a member of the Santa Rosa Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force and serves on the Board of Directors for the Sonoma County Bar Association.  He is also on the Advisory Board for Hope Works, a non-profit organization that focuses on gang intervention through life skills and job training.  He is an adjunct professor at Empire Law School, specializing in elder protection law and also co-chair for the Elder Abuse Committee of the California District Attorneys' Association.  He is presently on the Board of Directors for the Valley of the Moon Children’s Home Foundation.