It is true, I have never been a prosecutor. But when you understand the role of a prosecutor, I actually have a lot of related experience and MY EXPERIENCE IS UNIQUE AND WILL ADD VALUE TO THE POSITION I SEEK. A prosecutor's job is to analyze evidence, determine what charges are appropriate, negotiate fair and just resolutions on cases and when compromises fail, be prepared to effectively present your case before a jury to get a just verdict. The county prosecutor job also includes providing advice and counsel to county employees and law enforcement. The job also includes hiring and firing prosecutors that don’t adhere to the policies and procedures set by the county prosecutor. For example, you give a child molester a recommendation of probation, you get fired.
As a justice defense humanizer attorney, I feel I have been molded for this position. One of the requirements is being able to communicate with any walk of life. As a lawyer I like to think I had more friends than clients. People I cared about and wanted them to do better. All had families and were good people that made mistakes or were wrongfully accused or overcharged. I have communicated with victims, and even been hired by them to help resolve cases fairly. I have spent my time not asking for deals, but humanizing my client and having an idea of what could help them or what measurable justice would be.
Having knowledge of the law is utmost important. You must understand legal issues that pertain to admissibility of evidence, people’s constitutional rights and what a reasonable search or seizure is. I have spent my career keeping law enforcement in check when they violate people’s rights. I never understood why the prosecutors would just never admit the officer was wrong and correct the person so it does not happen again. We will have an office based on integrity, not impulse. If the officers are wrong, they will be corrected with dignity and education. You cannot correct the behavior unless you know what you did is wrong. Taking unreasonable police action to court hearings when there is a clear violation does nothing but condone their behavior so it happens again. There will be accountability in my office for respecting peoples rights. This is important for the community because if they feel they are being treated fair, then they will give law enforcement the love and respect they deserve. But for law enforcement we would not have a functional society. I will do what I can as Franklin County prosecutor to provide advice and counsel to law enforcement for the betterment of the community.
Being able to take a case to trial is also extremely important. In order to uphold justice, you need execution. I have had great success as a defense trial attorney and have won over 70% of my cases. When you want to tighten the security in your computer, you hire a hacker to find the cracks in the system. My past 12 years I have spent being a hacker, what are the cracks in the case, what are they leaving out, and what are their strengths and weaknesses. The most common answer isn’t a crack, but lack of information. Prosecutors try to win sometimes instead of just presenting a case which loses confidence in front of a jury. Prosecutors in my office will know all I care about is a fair trial, not trying to win by being shady. Character matters. Further, knowing what defense attorneys focus on will help build a more effective trial staff. With me being hands on with all big cases and accessible to all lawyers, guilty people’s chances of walking due to an avoidable error will drastically decrease. Further, defense attorneys will also know they have a county prosecutor that understands innocent people also get charged. That if they can present evidence, cases will be dismissed without taking an unnecessary risk. One of the methods I will make available is lie detector tests. I have used lie detector tests several times in my career and they have been spot on every time. Several times resulting in the felony being dismissed or avoided.
Being a Boss is a tremendous honor. I had several bosses growing up but the best boss I ever had was myself. Over my life I have learned what’s important for an employee. Help, guidance, independence, a boss that cares about them and an opportunity for growth. I will have an open door policy and will speak to anyone that would like guidance. I will listen to each prosecutor to see if I can help guide them to a division they desire. I will give all attorneys independence but with guidance on standards (My prosecutor pledges). I will lead by example, not yell from the sidelines. I think high tides raise all boats and my passion, energy and desire to make the community better will foster an environment of newfound purpose and energy. I will create an environment where we all learn off of each other. This will be done with biweekly meetings. This will help create a better working environment and an educated staff.
Absent the need for budget cuts, no one will be fired and will start off on a clean slate absent just cause. I have worked in Franklin County for the past 12 years and feel I know half the prosecutors. I can honestly say I like them all.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
