I would like to take this opportunity to briefly explain why I am endorsing Steve Brown to be the next district attorney of Lake County.

I have known Steve since I moved to Lake County in 1989. I had the opportunity to watch Steve grow up and graduate from Kelseyville High School and move away and go to college and subsequently graduate as well.

After graduating from law school, I briefly had the opportunity to watch Steve in court and observed that he conducted himself in a professional manner and was respectful of the judicial process. Steve represented his clients with vigor and I never observed him take shortcuts.

When Steve decided to run for the office of district attorney, I was hopeful that much-needed change was on the horizon. In my 28 years of law enforcement experience, I had the pleasure of being involved in the judicial process with several elected district attorney’s and their deputy district attorneys. I truly valued and enjoyed that working relationship. Those district attorneys and their deputy district attorneys were committed to prosecuting the criminals who came before them and insured that crime victims felt justice was served.

For nearly eight years now crime victims receiving justice does not appear to be the focus of the District Attorney’s Office. Sentence bargaining has become the norm, in order to obtain a “conviction.” Serious cases have slipped through the cracks because of the lack of management and the lack of focus on what is truly important, which is “justice.”

The deputy district attorneys who work in the District Attorney’s Office need someone who will change the status quo and get back to the basic fundamentals, “commit a crime and you might go to jail.” I believe Steve Brown is the person who will make that change.

Lake County cannot afford the status quo. Our state legislators have already released criminals back into society, we do not need for our local prosecutor to do the same.

Please join me in voting Steve Brown for district attorney of Lake County on June 5.

Chris Macedo lives in Lakeport, Calif.