Yavapai County Attorney Dennis McGrane announced that on June 20, 2024, Deputy County Attorney Dana Owens was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council (APAAC) at a Phoenix, Arizona ceremony.
County Attorney Dennis McGrane stated, “I’ve worked with Dana since she started here 24 years ago, and I quickly learned what an amazing and consummate prosecution professional she is. I believe in being tough on criminals, while also trying to address the factors that led someone to break the law. Dana is the perfect person to achieve both of these goals. Several years ago, I asked Dana to lead the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office’s Diversion Program. This groundbreaking program allows non-violent offenders with minimal records, and whose crime had a nexus to mental health or drug use, to address the root problems behind their conduct, so they can become productive members of the community.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award is designed to recognize an individual who has had a distinguished career of at least eighteen years as a public prosecutor, and who has made significant contributions to the protection of public safety and the administration of justice, and whose career exemplifies the highest standards of dedication and commitment to the profession. Due to the nature of the honor, it is not necessarily awarded on an annual basis.
Ms. Owens has been with the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office for more than two-decades and has handled heavy felony caseloads and also supervised numerous units within the office. In addition to prosecuting serious cases, Ms. Owens currently leads the aforementioned Diversion Program. Ms. Owens also volunteers and teaches on numerous criminal law issues throughout the state, and volunteers as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Because of Ms. Owens’s success with the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office’s diversion program, she was asked to co-chair a statewide Diversion Workgroup formed by the State of Arizona, with a goal to foster and improve successful diversion programs across the state.
