Sarita Wright Lucas was a brilliant, principled, and deeply compassionate public servant who believed that prosecutors had the power—and the responsibility—to shape a more just legal system. Her passion for law and her unwavering moral clarity guided every decision she made, both in and out of the courtroom.

Sarita first discovered her calling during an internship at Boston Municipal Court, where she sat in on trials, studied prosecutors in action, and poured over appellate cases. For Sarita, that experience far outshone her previous internship at a corporate law firm in New York—and set her firmly on the path toward public service. After graduating from Barnard College in 1999 and then Suffolk University Law School in 2008, she joined the Delaware Department of Justice as a Deputy Attorney General.

She quickly earned a reputation as one of the hardest working, most respected young prosecutors in the state. Sarita took the toughest cases—homicides, assaults, and robberies—and led her unit with focus, fairness, and fierce integrity. Her guiding principle was simple: do the right thing for victims, defendants, and the community at large.

“She wanted to do the right thing for the people involved in criminal cases,” said a colleague. “And while she was a tough prosecutor, she was also fair. When there were mitigating circumstances, she listened. She led with conscience.”

Sarita rose rapidly through the ranks, becoming one of the youngest attorneys ever appointed to lead a criminal unit in the state of Delaware. She was admired by judges, respected by defense attorneys, and beloved by colleagues for her loyalty, empathy, and generosity. Whether offering courtroom strategy or quietly dropping off snacks for her team on weekends, she cared deeply for the people around her and for the work they did together.

In 2014, at just 33 years old and six months pregnant with her first child, Claire, Sarita died suddenly in her home. Her death left an unfillable hole in the lives of her family, friends, and colleagues. The Delaware legal community held moments of silence in courtrooms. Letters poured in from law enforcement, judges, and former interns. As the late Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden put it, she was “an incredibly committed and accomplished deputy attorney general and a beloved colleague and friend.”

To honor Sarita and carry forward her vision, her mother, Wanda Geer, founded the Sarita and Claire Wright Lucas Foundation in 2015. The Foundation reflects Sarita’s values: fairness, equity, public service, and the belief that Black women deserve to be seen, heard, and empowered within the legal system.

Sarita believed the role of a prosecutor wasn’t about punishment—it was about justice. Through the Foundation, her spirit continues to inspire a new generation of prosecutors committed to equity, community, and doing the right thing.