Black History Month: BREAKING BARRIERS – The Past, Present and Modeling for the Future

DA Dupree is the two-term District Attorney of Wyandotte County and leads an office of over 60 employees and manages a significant budget each fiscal year. D.A. Dupree and his team of employees are implementing strategic and visionary policies to expand the function of the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office.

D.A. Dupree has successfully created the first ever “Conviction Integrity Unit” in the state of Kansas, since re-named “Community Integrity Unit” which is responsible for ensuring that convictions obtained previously still hold integrity today and holding law enforcement accountable with the establishment of a hotline for residents to register complaints.  

Community involvement is the bedrock of the Dupree Administration. It builds community trust, and that trust greatly assists in crime prevention and bringing justice. Mr. Dupree and his administration lead the way in speaking at schools, neighborhood watch meetings, church gatherings, and civic organizations.

Judge Candice Alcaraz is the first black female District Court Judge in the Wyandotte County, KS. Judge Alcaraz handles both criminal and civil matters in her courtroom.

Judge Alcaraz earned a bachelor’s degree from Truman State University.  She then completed a J.D. at Washburn University School of Law in 2016.  As a law student, she interned with the Hon. Stephen Hill of the Kansas Court of Appeals.

After graduating from law school, Judge Alcaraz began her legal career as an assistant district attorney with the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office.  During her tenure there, she prosecuted juvenile offender crimes and adult felony cases including homicide, narcotics, sex crimes, battery, etc.

District Attorney W. Dewayne Richardson represents the Fourth Circuit Court District of Mississippi.  He was born and raised in the Mississippi Delta in Indianola, Mississippi by two lifelong educators and community leaders John and Annie Rose Richardson. 

Dewayne holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Tougaloo College and a Juris Doctorate from Mississippi College School of Law both in Jackson, MS. As Richardson’s track record attests, he has always believed in the administration of justice, seeking strict punishment and accountability for those who violate the law.  Richardson’s office continuously supports the rights of victims in the Fourth District and the entire State of Mississippi. 

Dewayne Richardson joined the District Attorney’s office in 2003 as an Assistant District Attorney for the Fourth District. Dewayne immediately jumped into the prosecution of crimes ranging from drug offenses to capital murder.  In 2005, Richardson began and has represented law enforcement agencies in the seizing and collection of property and currency that were the products of illegal drug trafficking and other criminal activity. 

In 2007, at 30 years of age, Richardson became the District Attorney-elect for the Fourth Circuit Court District.  He became the second youngest District Attorney ever in the State of Mississippi.  Dewayne is one of twenty-three District Attorneys in Mississippi and his district includes Washington, Sunflower and Leflore counties.  Along with the help of a stellar prosecution team and support staff, the Fourth Circuit Court District Attorney’s Office has constantly fought for and carried the torch for victims and their rights in the Mississippi Delta. 

Richardson is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, Magnolia Bar Association, American Bar Association, National Bar Association, National District Attorney’s Association, as well as both the Washington and Sunflower County Bar Associations. 

Dewayne formerly served as President for 2012-2013 of the Mississippi Prosecutors Association.  He is the first black president for the Mississippi Prosecutors Association which is an organization that advocates and lobbies on behalf of all city, county, and state prosecutors in Mississippi.  He has been a member of the board of directors for the Mississippi Prosecutors Association since 2007. 

Since 2019, Richardson has represented the State of Mississippi as board member to the National District Attorney’s Association which serves to promote accountability and the fair and equitable administration of justice across this nation. Dewayne is also member of the 100 Black Men of the Mississippi Delta where he serves as the scholarship chair and he is President of the Greenville, MS Alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Dewayne is a lifelong member of St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church in Indianola, Mississippi.  He is married to Dr. Lakeisha Richardson and together they have three beautiful children: one son Damion, and two daughters Alexis and Kennedy.

Kimberly began her career as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney to Ray Larson in 1996, and as Lou Anna Red Corn’s First Assistant in 2016. When Lou Anna announced her retirement, Kimberly was appointed by Governor Beshear to fill the remainder of Lou Anna’s term beginning October 1, 2022. Kimberly became the first African American female in Kentucky to serve in the role of Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney.  She was born and raised in Lexington; graduating from the University of Kentucky in 1993 and the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1996. She has tried over 115 cases before juries – including approximately 26 homicides cases. For decades, she has trained new prosecutors across the state at the Kentucky Prosecutor’s Conference, as well as instructing officers with the Lexington Police Department and the Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) in Richmond.

She is also a strong advocate for crime victims, especially the most vulnerable in our community – children. She is a member of the office’s Special Victim’s Unit which focuses on prosecuting crimes committed against children. She also facilitates the multi-disciplinary team meetings held at the Children’s Advocacy Center. This team investigates and prosecutes child sexual abuse cases in Fayette County.

She understands the issues facing our community and is committed to finding solutions. In 2020, she was asked to serve on the Mayor’s Commission for Racial Justice and Equality – Law Enforcement, Justice and Accountability. That committee discussed concerns community members had with law enforcement and the justice system and ways to address those concerns. She co-chairs the Legal Committee of the Fayette County Juvenile Treatment Court Steering Committee working to create best practices for juveniles charged with crimes. And on a national level, she is an associate member of the National District Attorney’s Association, serving on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She was also recently inducted as a Fellow into the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers and have been asked to serve on its Kentucky State Committee. She will also serve on the 2023 Kentucky Bar Association Convention planning committee.

She is also very active in her community. She has served as the chair of Lexington’s Annual Roots and Heritage Festival for the past 17 years. She is the Board Treasurer for the Community Action Council. She is also a member of Jack and Jill of America Inc. the Junior League of Lexington, an honorary member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., and the Ky Association of Professional African American Women (KAPAAW). She currently serves as the Usher Board president at Historic Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church, where she has been a member for over 40 years.