Kenny Wright Pledges Changes for DA's Office
(Editors Note: We asked Kenny Wright, candidate for District Attorney for Ottawa and Delaware Counties, to explain what he will do differently if elected to the position of District Attorney. Here is his response:)
First, I will change the organization of the D.A.'s office. Each case will be assigned to a specific attorney who is responsible for the case. That attorney will review reports and determine whether any further investigative action is warranted prior to making charging decisions. Each attorney will keep a calender and block off time for hearings, phone calls, and office visits just like every other business professional does. This will allow a more efficient use of the attorney's time as well as those who deal with the office. It will allow witnesses, law enforcement officers, and attorneys to schedule appointments with prosecutors for the first time in memory in our district. I have heard many complaints from people being told the attorneys do not make appointments. As a result of this policy, people, including officers, often wait hours to have a brief discussion with a prosecutor.
Every two prosecutors will share one personal secretary. That secretary will be required to maintain the calenders of the attorneys, to assist in scheduling, and to take phone messages. As a private business, one of our most important assests has always been our secretarial staff. I rely on my secretaries to help me make sure I get everything taken care of and to help take care of me.
We will have regular attorney staff meetings. I will preside over these meetings to ensure cases are being handled correctly. We will use these meetings to help each other prepare and execute our specific case strategies.
I will use my investigative staff to investigate crime, not merely duplicate work other law enforcement agencies perform. My investigators will also be available to assist other agencies at their request. We will rebuild the Drug Task Force into a cohesive unit composed of members of all law enforcement agencies. Our Drug Task Force will one again have a unified strategy for enforcing our drug laws by every means the law allows. We will not follow one strategy (confidential informants used to make controlled buys) to the exclusion of all other strategies. We will not exclude any agencies from our Drug Task Force (southern Ottawa County for example).
I have plans to set up regular training sessions for our local law enforcement. Most of the sessions will be taught by me personally. I want to help law enforcement understand what they can do to assist the prosecutors prepare for jury trials. I also want law enforcement to help me understand and know how to help them. I look forward to learning from the men and women who risk their lives every day to keep us safe.
The District Attorney is also the attorney for the counties. I want to help the county commissioners protect our district from liability. Since I started campaigning, I have been particularly excited to meet some of the men and women of our volunteer fire departments. I have also learned from them how hard their departments have it financially. I will do more to help these dedicated men and women prepare for what they must face. I continue to rely on their input to learn how I can help them.
We will continue to collect bogus checks for our business people. However, I will not allow the indescriminate assessment of D.A. fees in excess of $200.00 for every check. Right now, if a person makes a mistake with their account, they are treated like a criminal. If a person is intentionally bouncing checks I am all for hammering them. However, if a husband writes a big check a wife does not know about and within a week five checks for $5.00 each bounce, it may be a legitimate error. If the error is legitimate, I refuse to line my pockets with over $1000.00 of their hard earned money. I will always get money back for our businesses. In fact, there is no reason we cannot also compensate the business owners for the time-value of money. Our laws allow triple restitution. In many cases, I believe triple restitution is appropriate. I will use this tool to more powerfully punish people who rip off our businesses.
I will alter truancy court so that it complies with the laws of the State. We will not cast our net so wide that single working mothers are forced to plea to crimes they did not commit. If a parent tries to encourage and force a child to go to school, they are not guilty of a crime because the kid leaves school right after he walks in the doors. We must focus on the causes of truancy. We must inspire our youth to participate in care. Our school teachers want to help. With their help we can have kids happy to go to school. If the kids hate being there, they will not learn. If they their parents tried to make them go to school and then see them arrested and labeled criminals, what have we taught them?
We will bring back community service for adults and juveniles alike. I would rather see ten guys spend all weekend painting the house of a senior citizen on social security than wasting our resources sitting in jail for two days. I never understood why community service was discontinued. It can be a powerful tool to get people invested in their community. We had some inmates of the Delaware County Jail build a playground in Jay a few years ago. These guys are proud of their accomplishment. They know they have done something good. They tell their children, "Your dad helped build this playground."
My office will focus more heavily on crimes committed by people who are dangerous to society. So much time is presently eaten up by arguing over minor details in every little case, prosecutors have limited time to focus and prepare for the big cases. By implementing a fair system of justice for misdemeanor crimes, my attorneys will have time to prepare for the most important cases.
Preparation is the key to victory in the courtroom. We will fully interview and prepare every material witness prior to their testimony. I will help law enforcement plan to counteract defense strategies. Witnesses must know what to expect and be aware of evidentiary issues. For witnesses to be properly prepared, the prosecutors must have time to prepare. I will make sure cases are handled correctly.
I will use my skills as a trial attorney for the benefit of all the people. Since 1999, I have conducted 18 felony jury trials in our two counties. Only 7 of these trials resulted in convictions for contested crimes. During this same period of time, the present District Attorney tried 7 defendants in 6 trials in Delaware and Ottawa Counties. Of these 7 defendants, only three were convicted of crimes they contested. My opponent tried no criminal cases in private practice. During this same time period, I have fought over 200 preliminary hearings. My opponent has done less than 20. We both handled many cases and trials prior to 1999; however, I begin these stats in 1999 because that is the year my opponent first became his own boss. I have called my own shots since 1997 and have not avoided the courtroom. It would have been as easy for me as it is for him to assign all my cases to associates. I have chosen to exercise my skills as much as possible. I will be on the front line fighting for the good of our people as District Attorney.
I have never been involved in politics before. We are running a grassroots campaign. My opponent is running a campaign partially based on the fact that he will outspend me 3-1 or maybe even 4-1. I am not tied to the power elite and big money in our district. I owe no favors to anyone. This will allow me to make decisions as District Attorney fairly, objectively, and without influence from special interest groups.
Our next District Attorney will be selected July 25, 2006. There are no other candidates democrat or republican. No matter whom you support, please get out and vote July 25!
Basically, our two most important issues, in my opinion, are methamphetamines and sex offenders. Meth accounts for a large proportion of non-drug crimes (domestic violence and theft crimes are most common). A big step toward fighting meth will be putting the Drug Task Force back together. The creation of a program for low-level drug offenders might have the largest impact. I would build a program modeled off our drug court. It would obviously not last as long nor be as intensive. It would involve real supervision, a curfew, a full-time job, graduated sanctions, and individual and group therapy (including AA/NA meetings. It would also involve coming to court for review (like drug court but not as often). I would focus on slamming the large dealers (they are still out there) with lots of prison time. I would also hammer people who expose children to meth.
Sex offenders, in my opinion, are not amenable to rehabilitation. Keep in mind when I write "sex offender" I do not mean a mildly mentally retarded 18 year old who has consensual sex with a 15 year old. A very wide array of criminal activity is statutorily defined as sex offenses. I will lock up real rapists and child molesters for the rest of their lives if possible. The problem the D.A.'s office faces now is lack of experience in handling this type of case compared to me. As public defender, I represent the majority of people charged with serious sex offenses in our two counties. That inevitably means the State is presently at a disadvantage in each of these cases. Elect me and the State will have an advantage in this respect. I can also make sure investigations are done properly. Perhaps most importantly, I can prepare witnesses to testify and teach other attorneys how to do it. Finally, I will personally handle as many of these prosecutions as possible. My passionate and caring style will garner long sentences from juries.
First, I will change the organization of the D.A.'s office. Each case will be assigned to a specific attorney who is responsible for the case. That attorney will review reports and determine whether any further investigative action is warranted prior to making charging decisions. Each attorney will keep a calender and block off time for hearings, phone calls, and office visits just like every other business professional does. This will allow a more efficient use of the attorney's time as well as those who deal with the office. It will allow witnesses, law enforcement officers, and attorneys to schedule appointments with prosecutors for the first time in memory in our district. I have heard many complaints from people being told the attorneys do not make appointments. As a result of this policy, people, including officers, often wait hours to have a brief discussion with a prosecutor.
Every two prosecutors will share one personal secretary. That secretary will be required to maintain the calenders of the attorneys, to assist in scheduling, and to take phone messages. As a private business, one of our most important assests has always been our secretarial staff. I rely on my secretaries to help me make sure I get everything taken care of and to help take care of me.
We will have regular attorney staff meetings. I will preside over these meetings to ensure cases are being handled correctly. We will use these meetings to help each other prepare and execute our specific case strategies.
I will use my investigative staff to investigate crime, not merely duplicate work other law enforcement agencies perform. My investigators will also be available to assist other agencies at their request. We will rebuild the Drug Task Force into a cohesive unit composed of members of all law enforcement agencies. Our Drug Task Force will one again have a unified strategy for enforcing our drug laws by every means the law allows. We will not follow one strategy (confidential informants used to make controlled buys) to the exclusion of all other strategies. We will not exclude any agencies from our Drug Task Force (southern Ottawa County for example).
I have plans to set up regular training sessions for our local law enforcement. Most of the sessions will be taught by me personally. I want to help law enforcement understand what they can do to assist the prosecutors prepare for jury trials. I also want law enforcement to help me understand and know how to help them. I look forward to learning from the men and women who risk their lives every day to keep us safe.
The District Attorney is also the attorney for the counties. I want to help the county commissioners protect our district from liability. Since I started campaigning, I have been particularly excited to meet some of the men and women of our volunteer fire departments. I have also learned from them how hard their departments have it financially. I will do more to help these dedicated men and women prepare for what they must face. I continue to rely on their input to learn how I can help them.
We will continue to collect bogus checks for our business people. However, I will not allow the indescriminate assessment of D.A. fees in excess of $200.00 for every check. Right now, if a person makes a mistake with their account, they are treated like a criminal. If a person is intentionally bouncing checks I am all for hammering them. However, if a husband writes a big check a wife does not know about and within a week five checks for $5.00 each bounce, it may be a legitimate error. If the error is legitimate, I refuse to line my pockets with over $1000.00 of their hard earned money. I will always get money back for our businesses. In fact, there is no reason we cannot also compensate the business owners for the time-value of money. Our laws allow triple restitution. In many cases, I believe triple restitution is appropriate. I will use this tool to more powerfully punish people who rip off our businesses.
I will alter truancy court so that it complies with the laws of the State. We will not cast our net so wide that single working mothers are forced to plea to crimes they did not commit. If a parent tries to encourage and force a child to go to school, they are not guilty of a crime because the kid leaves school right after he walks in the doors. We must focus on the causes of truancy. We must inspire our youth to participate in care. Our school teachers want to help. With their help we can have kids happy to go to school. If the kids hate being there, they will not learn. If they their parents tried to make them go to school and then see them arrested and labeled criminals, what have we taught them?
We will bring back community service for adults and juveniles alike. I would rather see ten guys spend all weekend painting the house of a senior citizen on social security than wasting our resources sitting in jail for two days. I never understood why community service was discontinued. It can be a powerful tool to get people invested in their community. We had some inmates of the Delaware County Jail build a playground in Jay a few years ago. These guys are proud of their accomplishment. They know they have done something good. They tell their children, "Your dad helped build this playground."
My office will focus more heavily on crimes committed by people who are dangerous to society. So much time is presently eaten up by arguing over minor details in every little case, prosecutors have limited time to focus and prepare for the big cases. By implementing a fair system of justice for misdemeanor crimes, my attorneys will have time to prepare for the most important cases.
Preparation is the key to victory in the courtroom. We will fully interview and prepare every material witness prior to their testimony. I will help law enforcement plan to counteract defense strategies. Witnesses must know what to expect and be aware of evidentiary issues. For witnesses to be properly prepared, the prosecutors must have time to prepare. I will make sure cases are handled correctly.
I will use my skills as a trial attorney for the benefit of all the people. Since 1999, I have conducted 18 felony jury trials in our two counties. Only 7 of these trials resulted in convictions for contested crimes. During this same period of time, the present District Attorney tried 7 defendants in 6 trials in Delaware and Ottawa Counties. Of these 7 defendants, only three were convicted of crimes they contested. My opponent tried no criminal cases in private practice. During this same time period, I have fought over 200 preliminary hearings. My opponent has done less than 20. We both handled many cases and trials prior to 1999; however, I begin these stats in 1999 because that is the year my opponent first became his own boss. I have called my own shots since 1997 and have not avoided the courtroom. It would have been as easy for me as it is for him to assign all my cases to associates. I have chosen to exercise my skills as much as possible. I will be on the front line fighting for the good of our people as District Attorney.
I have never been involved in politics before. We are running a grassroots campaign. My opponent is running a campaign partially based on the fact that he will outspend me 3-1 or maybe even 4-1. I am not tied to the power elite and big money in our district. I owe no favors to anyone. This will allow me to make decisions as District Attorney fairly, objectively, and without influence from special interest groups.
Our next District Attorney will be selected July 25, 2006. There are no other candidates democrat or republican. No matter whom you support, please get out and vote July 25!
Basically, our two most important issues, in my opinion, are methamphetamines and sex offenders. Meth accounts for a large proportion of non-drug crimes (domestic violence and theft crimes are most common). A big step toward fighting meth will be putting the Drug Task Force back together. The creation of a program for low-level drug offenders might have the largest impact. I would build a program modeled off our drug court. It would obviously not last as long nor be as intensive. It would involve real supervision, a curfew, a full-time job, graduated sanctions, and individual and group therapy (including AA/NA meetings. It would also involve coming to court for review (like drug court but not as often). I would focus on slamming the large dealers (they are still out there) with lots of prison time. I would also hammer people who expose children to meth.
Sex offenders, in my opinion, are not amenable to rehabilitation. Keep in mind when I write "sex offender" I do not mean a mildly mentally retarded 18 year old who has consensual sex with a 15 year old. A very wide array of criminal activity is statutorily defined as sex offenses. I will lock up real rapists and child molesters for the rest of their lives if possible. The problem the D.A.'s office faces now is lack of experience in handling this type of case compared to me. As public defender, I represent the majority of people charged with serious sex offenses in our two counties. That inevitably means the State is presently at a disadvantage in each of these cases. Elect me and the State will have an advantage in this respect. I can also make sure investigations are done properly. Perhaps most importantly, I can prepare witnesses to testify and teach other attorneys how to do it. Finally, I will personally handle as many of these prosecutions as possible. My passionate and caring style will garner long sentences from juries.
posted by Editor | 1:27 AM
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