October 12, 2017

Daniel Varon '06 receives OCDA “Prosecutor of the Year” award

Daniel Varon ‘06 of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) has been chosen as a recipient of the 2017 “Prosecutor of the Year” award from the California District Attorney Investigators’ Association (CDAIA) for his extensive work combatting human trafficking and exploitation in Orange County.

Varon earned his juris doctorate from Southwestern Law School, where he served on the Board of the Trial Advocacy Honors Program. Varon joined the OCDA in 2007 and has been a dedicated and integral member of the HEAT Unit since its inception in 2013. In addition to prosecuting cases, Varon conducts statewide trainings on human exploitation and trafficking and is actively involved in seeking legislative changes on behalf of the OCDA. At the awards ceremony, Deputy District Attorney Varon commented, “It has been the honor of a lifetime to work alongside such an incredible team of lawyers, police officers, and victim service providers in pursuing fair and just verdicts for those who seek to do so much harm to the most vulnerable among us.”

The HEAT Unit was established by District Attorney Tony Rackauckas in 2013 to target perpetrators who sexually exploit and traffic women and underage girls for financial gain, including pimps, panderers, and human traffickers. Varon, along with four additional deputy district attorneys, dedicates his time to aggressively prosecuting these unique and complex cases. To date, the OCDA HEAT Unit has obtained over 234 felony convictions, 223 prison sentences (including six life sentences), and currently has an active caseload of over 116 cases.

“Congratulations are well deserved for both (fellow Deputy District Attorney Bradley Schoenleben) and Dan,” said OCDA Tony Rackauckas. “Well beyond the conviction, these prosecutors work tirelessly to provide resources and help human trafficking victims get on their feet and improve their lives. It’s due to Brad, Dan, and everyone in the HEAT Unit that our office has been deemed the ‘best practice model’ by several Congressmen who are dedicated to combatting human trafficking in their districts,” concluded Rackauckas.