Human Trafficking

Summer Stephan is a career prosecutor who has served as a Deputy District Attorney in San Diego County for more than 26 years, rising through the ranks to appointments as Chief of the DA’s North County Branch and Chief of the Sex Crimes and Human Trafficking Division.  In 2012, she was appointed Chief Deputy District Attorney.

As a trial prosecutor, Summer tried more than 100 jury trials, including special circumstance homicides, sexually-violent predators, child molestation, sexual assault, child abuse, school shooting, and human trafficking-related cases.

Summer holds leadership positions in public safety on the national state and local level. She serves as Chair of the County of San Diego Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Advisory Council, and Co-Chairs the California District Attorneys Association Human Trafficking Committee and chairs the Women Prosecutors of the National District Attorneys Association, Human Trafficking Committee.   Summer spearheaded the innovative “Know the Price” campaign which focused on reducing sexual assaults of college students. She also led the award winning “The Ugly Truth” Human Trafficking Campaign. Summer chairs the Task Force on Threats of Targeted Violence to our schools and community. Summer was selected as one of only two prosecutors in California to serve on Governor Schwarzenegger’s Task Force for High-Risk Sex Offenders and Sexually-Violent Predators that created state wide policy in this area.