Election 2026 Interview Series: Candidate for Washington County Prosecutor Brock Dawson

As the 2026 general election approaches, The Washington County Times is publishing written interviews with candidates in contested races affecting Washington County.

The Times reached out to all candidates for whom we were able to obtain contact information and invited them to participate. If you are a candidate in a contested race and have not received an invitation, please contact us so we can make sure you have an opportunity to participate.

Candidates were provided with questions tailored to their campaign, personal history, and the office they are seeking. We encouraged candidates to answer the questions in their own words and to refrain from using ChatGPT or other artificial intelligence tools when preparing their responses.

All candidate responses have been published as submitted, without editing or alteration. The Washington County Times does not endorse political candidates, and any opinions or statements expressed within the following interview are the candidate's own.

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Why are you running for Washington County Prosecutor, and what do you believe you would bring to the office that is currently missing?

As the lead attorney for each criminal case in Washington County, plus having the final say in whether police reports actually turn into criminal charges, the elected Prosecutor plays a crucially important role in our community. I am running for the office because of countless community leaders, law enforcement officers, and crime victims who have expressed dissatisfaction with the current leadership. I am seeking the office to ensure that sexual predators face the maximum possible sentences, and so that violent and repeat offenders are properly held accountable. I am running for Washington County Prosecutor with the dream of making our community safer.

I’m also running for those caught it a cycle of addiction and incarceration. There are enormous opportunities in the immediate and surrounding areas for long-term rehabilitation and recovery.

My law practice has spanned over 50 unique Indiana courtrooms with the vast majority of those appearances being criminal proceedings. Over the years I have witnessed Drug Court graduates in other counties earn their way to favorable outcomes through hard work and dedication. Other clients have successfully completed 6-12 month inpatient treatment programs and have gone on to become valuable members of their communities. These outcomes are celebrated not only by the defendant, but also by their families, the courts, and the prosecutor’s offices.

Many individuals are given these opportunities, however, and fail. The system then deals with them accordingly, but I believe we should always leave the ninety-nine if one can be saved.

Since your incumbent opponent took office, Washington County has seen a significant decline in the number of criminal cases filed each year. What is your interpretation of that trend, and what do you believe it says about the current state of criminal prosecution and public safety in Washington County?

In 2022, Judge Houchin’s last year as the elected Prosecutor, one thousand four (1004) criminal cases were filed.

The incumbent took over January 1, 2023, and in that first year eight hundred seventy-nine (879) cases were filed.

In 2024, there were 861 criminal cases filed.

In 2025, the Prosecutor’s Office filed 779 criminal cases.

As of September 1 of this year, they are on track to file less than 700 (based on less than 450 cases filed as of September 1, 2026).

On the campaign trail I’ve heard several theories as to why so many criminal complaints have been left uncharged, set off to the side to expire, or why a case might be filed over two (2) years after the report originally came in. I would prefer not to speculate about my opponent’s motivations, or lack thereof, but there are a lot of frustrated victims and law enforcement officers who feel unsupported.

The National Institute of Justice, summarizing decades of Daniel Nagin’s criminology research, states plainly: “The certainty of being caught is a vastly more powerful deterrent than the punishment.” We need our residents to feel confident in the legitimacy of the system, and for criminals to expect to be held accountable. According to the National Academies, “The legal system relies upon members of the community to report crimes, identify criminals, act as witnesses in court, and serve on juries.”

[Publisher's Note: Hyperlinks in the above paragraph were provided by the candidate.]

In addition to formal law enforcement, safe communities are built on neighbors intervening, witnesses coming forward, parents supervising children, community members reporting suspicious activity, victims relying on effective prosecution, and residents believing that community standards will actually be enforced. Perceived ineffectiveness leads to weaker deterrence.

Washington County continues to see a significant number of drug-related arrests. What do you believe is the most effective way to address the county's drug problem, and where should prosecution fit into the larger picture of prevention and treatment?

When it comes to low-level drug offenders, we need to be allocating more resources toward recovery and rehabilitation.

Personally, I would prefer to have someone in the community, a neighbor perhaps, who had just spent 6 months in a faith-based recovery program as opposed to someone who just got done serving a 10-month prison sentence. While engaged in treatment, addicts are given responsibilities, held accountable, kept under close supervision, diving into religious education, serving the communities, participating in group therapy with coaches, counselors and mentors, and learning how to change their hearts and their habits.

There is also an opportunity in this county to pursue and prosecute drug dealers and habitual offenders more aggressively. Twenty (20) high-level dealing cases (Level 1 & Level 2 felony charges) were filed and disposed of between January 1, 2023 and February 6, 2026. Five (5) of those were dismissed outright, four (4) resulted in convictions of the most serious offense charged, and zero (0) resulted in sentences at or above the “advisory sentence” for those indictments.

That being said, the vast majority of drug cases are going to be low-level felonies and misdemeanors. I believe the elected Prosecutor can and should play an integral role in getting these people the treatment and resources they need to thrive.

How would you approach decisions about plea agreements, reduced charges and dismissals? Are there circumstances in which you believe the current approach to prosecuting cases should change?

Every jurisdiction I’ve ever found myself in resolves criminal matters primarily through plea agreements, which often include reduced charges. Plea agreements are necessary and valuable for a variety of reasons, and I intend to resolve a lot of cases by agreement both in my private practice and if elected Prosecutor.

The elected Prosecutor, however, must be prepared to go to trial. I see no reason to plead every case way down just to avoid going to trial and have a guaranteed conviction. Building a good felony case takes significant time and resources. Multiple officers will often be involved, spending hours interviewing, investigating, writing reports, conducting lab tests, and putting themselves in uncomfortable or even precarious situations to get a dangerous criminal off the streets. Throwing that all away for a weak plea agreement is disrespectful to the law enforcement community.

Since the elected prosecutor took office in January of 2023, I have tried seven (7) criminal cases to a jury. She has tried zero (0).

What do you believe the prosecutor's office should be doing to ensure crime victims feel heard, informed and supported throughout the legal process?

Indiana Code § 35-40-5 contains and ensures the “Core Rights of Victims.” The office should know this law and follow it.

Victims of sex crimes, child victims, and victims of domestic violence must be seen, heard, and protected with diligence. The prosecutor’s office can support crime victims by including them in the negotiation process, proactively communicating, and by being willing and able to take a case to trial.

What should the relationship between the prosecutor's office and local law enforcement look like? How would you maintain an effective working relationship while preserving the prosecutor's independent judgment?

Harmonious and transparent.

I plan to be in contact with multiple law enforcement agencies daily. The investigating officers should be actively involved in preparing cases for trial. A State Trooper should be consulted about plea negotiations involving high level felonies. Law enforcement should know the strengths and weaknesses of their cases, and should work together with the prosecutor’s office, the probation department, and other government agencies in order to best serve and protect our community.

What do you believe are the biggest weaknesses in Washington County’s current criminal justice system, and what would you change if elected?

Party politics would have no place in the prosecutor’s office if I were elected.

There is a severe lack of opportunity for meaningful treatment and rehabilitation in Washington County’s current criminal justice system. I intend to do whatever is in my power to open doors for people who honestly desire change in their own lives.

Lenient sentences for violent offenders, sexual predators, and habitual felons cannot continue. Real criminals need real sentences, not given a discount simply because it’s more convenient for the prosecutor to enter into a soft plea agreement.

And this may be a lofty goal, but if some faith in our local criminal justice system can be restored, we will all be better off.