Newly-inaugurated Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn announced Wednesday that he will create a new division of the Department of Justice to address the rights and liberties of Delawareans.
The Office of Civil Rights and Public Trust will address three main areas: the enforcement of laws protecting residents’ civil rights, upholding public trust and election laws and investigating police use of force and other areas where some of DoJ’s responsibilities may present the appearance of conflict.
Denn says he has heard from attorneys and other Delawareans about improvements that could be made regarding civil rights law enforcement.
"I did have a fair number of people approach me during my campaign to tell me they thought it would be a good thing for the state to have more enforcement of laws involving rights of Delawareans with disabilities, housing discrimination and employment discrimination issues," said Denn.
The new Attorney General adds the stronger emphasis on conflict of interest came from speaking to DoJ attorneys themselves.
"Some of the other impetus for it came from talking to attorneys in the office since the election and having them speak to me about what they perceived to be conflicting roles that they had to deal with in the course of doing their jobs," said Denn.
Allison Reardon will move from State Solicitor to head up the new office. Meredith Stewart Tweedie, who was serving as the head of the health law unit for the Department of Justice, will take over as State Solicitor.
Denn also announced Wednesday that a number of officials will stay in their current roles, including State Prosecutor Kathleen Jennings, Consumer Fraud Director Matt Lintner, and Family Division Director Patricia Dailey Lewis.
