>> CATHY: RAMSEY COUNTY ATTORNEY JOHN CHOI WAS HONORED RECENTLY FOR HIS WORK TO PROSECUTE VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT.

MEANWHILE, STATE LAWMAKERS ARE LOOKING AT WAYS TO IMPROVE THESE EFFORTS AS PART OF A BIG PUBLIC SAFETY BILL.

HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE APPROACH USED IN RAMSEY COUNTY IS JOHN CHOI.

HE'S THE RAMSEY COUNTY PROSECUTOR.

CONGRATULATIONS.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NICE TO BE ON YOUR SHOW AGAIN.

>> Cathy: WELCOME BACK.

IT'S THE FIRST TIME N -- THREE YEARS.

>> >> IT'S BEEN A WHILE, YEAH.

>> Cathy: AS MANY FOLKS KNOW, THE MAJORITIES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS JUST DON'T REPORTS.

>> RIGHT.

>> Cathy: AND I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHY, AND THEN WHAT IS THE COUNTY DOING ABOUT THAT?

>> WELL, I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE ISSUES ROUND SEX AND ALL THOSE THINGS, I THINK A LOT OF VICTIMS ARE -- THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS GOING ON IN THEIR MINDS ABOUT IN THEY WILL BE BELIEVED, WHAT THE REPERCUSSIONS AND WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT, AND SO THAT'S WHY, IN 2016, WE LAUNCHED RAMSEY COUNTY START BY BELIEVING, WHICH IS AN EFFORT TO REALLY HAVE CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN VICTIMS DO COME FORWARD, THAT THE SYSTEM, THE POLICE, THE PROSECUTOR, THE COURT SYSTEM, ALSO HAS TO BE READY TO BELIEVE VICTIMS AND ACTUALLY ACT APPROPRIATELY, AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF CASES, SITUATIONS, YOU NOW, THAT WE KNEW WERE NOT BEING FINISHED IN TERMS OF AN INVESTIGATION.

OFTENTIMES, WE WOULD SEE A LOT OF DROP-OUT WITH VICTIMS AND APART OF THAT IS BECAUSE THEY WERE GETTING THE SENSE THAT THEY WEREN'T BEING BELIEVED, OR THINGS WEREN'T TAKEN SERIOUSLY SO WE HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD TO CHANGE ALL OF THAT.

AND NOW MOVE OF THE CASES ARE COMING TO US.

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN TWO-THIRDS OF ALL SEXUAL ASSAULTS NEVER CAME TO MY OFFICE BECAUSE IT DIED IN THE INVESTIGATIVE PHASE.

>> Cathy: BUT ONCE THEY DO COME TO YOUR OFFICE, REALLY, WHAT'S THE CONVICTION RATE?

>> WELL, A LONG TIME AGO, WE USED TO BELIEVE THAT HINGS WERE REALLY OOD BECAUSE WE WOULD WIN THESE TRIALS, RIGHT?

AND IT WAS ACTUALLY -- HE CHARGING RATE WAS REALLY LOW, IT WAS LIKE 30% AND NOW BECAUSE OF THE INTENTIONAL WORK AND THE RESOURCES THAT WE'VE PUT INTO INVESTIGATION, WHICH IS THE BIG PART OF THIS, OUR CHARGING RATE IS NOW ABOVE 50%, WHICH IS LIKE ANY OTHER PARTICULAR CRIME, RIGHT?

AND THEN, ON TOP OF THAT, YOU KNOW, BEFORE, WE WON EVERY CASE AT JURY TRIAL.

BUT THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THAT.

YOU OULD THINK THAT'S GREAT, RIGHT?

BUT WE WERE JUST TAKING ON THE CASES THAT WERE SLAM DUNKS.

AND NOW WE HAVE CASES THAT WE'VE LOST SOME CASES AND I THINK APPROPRIATELY THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING, IF WE BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE AND WE BELIEVE THAT HE DEFENDANT IS GUILTY, THEN WE SHOULD PROCEED TO A TRIAL.

>> Eric: YOU ARE YOU'VE BEEN ON THIS ISSUE FOR YEARS, AND I WONDER IF OU'RE RIDING A LITTLE WAVE OF SUCCESS HERE WITH THE "ME TWO" MOMENT, FOR INSTANCE.

IS SOCIETAL CHANGE HELPING THE SITUATION HERE?

THAT'S ALSO THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE IN OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE I REALLY BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO ALSO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE RAISE BOYS, RIGHT?

AND SO THAT CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, IN OUR FAMILIES AND OUR PLACES OF WORSHIP, IT'S NOT AN EASY CONVERSATION BUT MORE MEN NEED TO BE OUTSPOKEN ABOUT THESE PARTICULAR ISSUES SO THAT WE CAN CREATE A BETTER WORLD WHERE EVERYBODY IS SAFE, VALUED, RESPECTED.

>> Cathy: YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED THIS -- YOU STARTED THIS IN 016.

THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING PERSONAL WHEN YOU START EFFORTS LIKE THIS.

WHAT IS THAT FOR YOU?

>> WELL, FOR ME, IT'S -- I'VE BEEN IN THIS PUBLIC SPACE FOR A REALLY LONG TIME AND I STARTED AS THE St. PAUL CITY ATTORNEY, AND I JUST MINUTE SO MANY INCREDIBLE ADVOCATES AND VICTIMS AND I LEARNED SO MUCH.

TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I GREW UP IN A HOUSEHOLD THAT WAS VERY PATRIARCH Y'ALL, IT WASN'T -- THIS WAS NOT HOW I WAS RAISED.

BUT JUST -- YOU'RE ALWAYS A LIFELONG LEARNER AND YOU ALSO LEARN IN AN EMOTIONAL WAY, AS WELL, AND I HAVE COME TO THIS PLACE THAT, LIKE THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT NEED TO CHANGE AROUND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE SO THAT'S WHERE MY PASSION COMES FROM SO THE SEX TRAFFICKING WORK THAT DID RIGHT AWAY, AND THEN OF COURSE NOW IN 2016, AROUND THE -- TRYING TO GET A BETTER RESPONSE AROUND -- FOR THE VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND OUR SURVIVORS, THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME BECAUSE I HAVE SO MANY PERSONAL RIPS WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE -- PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING IN THIS AREA AND I'VE GROWN AS A HUMAN BEING AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT FOR MY COMMUNITY.

>> Eric: MONEY OR POLICY CHANGES COMING FROM THE LEGISLATURE TO HELP OU OUT?

>> YEAH, I THINK THERE ARE SOME BILLS THAT I THINK ARE GOING TO PASS, YOU NEVER KNOW FOR SURE AT THE END BUT THERE IS A LOT -- APPROPRIATION FOR VICTIM SERVICES AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

I ALSO THINK, WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT FIGHTING VIOLENT CRIME, THEY'RE INCLUDING CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT, INCLUDED IN THAT, SO I THINK THERE WILL BE MORE RESOURCES FOR INVESTIGATIONS.

THE TRUTH IS, IF WE WANT TO DO BETTER IN THIS AREA, WE HAVE TO INVEST IN IT AND SO WE NEED TO HAVE ENOUGH INVESTIGATORS TO BE ABLE TO DO THE JOB PROPERLY AND ALSO THE FORENSIC TESTING.

>> Cathy: I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT THAT.

>> THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL AND THAT APPROPRIATION IS ALIVE AND WELL AND I HOPE THAT -- >> Cathy: BECAUSE ISN'T THERE A BACKLOG, STILL, A HUGE BACKLOG?

>> YES, AND THE FORENSIC SCIENTISTS WHEN WE DO THE DNA TESTING, WHEN IT'S ALL BACKED UP, THEN VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS HAVE TO WAIT LONGER TO FIND OUT WHETHER OR NOT THEIR CASES ARE GOING TO BE CHARGED AND WHAT WE CAN DO IN THE COURT SYSTEM.

>> Eric: APPRECIATE YOU COMING DOWN AND COMING COUNSEL DEL LOG BOULEVARD AND TELLING US HOW YOU'RE DOING WITH THIS.