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Letters
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- Written by: Gary Frace
Steve is a successful private practice attorney who will bring new ideas and strong crime fighting leadership to the DA’s office. He will ensure that serious criminals do not escape jail time for their offenses. Steve will make sure that criminal cases are prosecuted on the merits with no special treatment given to offenders who have personal ties to the current leadership of the DA’s office.
I’ve observed the frustration of many local deputies and police officers as criminals that they have arrested are let back out on the streets without even a trial.
It is the job of law enforcement to investigate crimes and send them to the DA’s office for prosecution. When the law enforcement officers work hard to conduct complete investigations and the cases are pled down or dropped completely, it is very frustrating.
This has to change because the way it has been is not working. Cases are reduced or dropped at the expense of the public. It is the responsibility of the DA to make sure the criminals are prosecuted for their crimes.
Lake County needs to combat crime and make our communities safer. Please join me in voting for Steve Brown for district attorney on June 5.
Gary Frace lives in Lakeport, Calif.
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- Written by: Sharon Lerman
Unfortunately, the opinions he shared in his letter are based on sentencing laws from the past. Since Mr. Buchholz retired from his job at probation, the entire landscape of criminal sentencing has changed.
As a former senior deputy district attorney, I practiced criminal law in Lake County during these major changes. State legislation and voter initiatives (such as AB 109, Penal Code section 1170(h), and Propositions 47 and 57) have made prison sentences less likely, less lengthy, and more likely to be served locally in our county jail.
It is important to note that probation departments across the state – including Mr. Buchholz’s former office – have adopted “evidence-based practices” that afford offenders more opportunities to stay on probation and out of prison, often even after probation is violated.
Mr. Buchholz implied that the District Attorney’s Office has the final say as to a defendant’s sentence when, in fact, it is the judge who ultimately decides what a sentence will be. If the judge finds that a proposed sentence is unjust under the facts and circumstances of the particular case, then the judge will reject it, and the case will proceed to trial.
For years, sentence bargaining has been practiced in most counties in California. This is because failure to do so results in a waste of local resources and causes unnecessary delays and continuances.
Mr. Buchholz seemed to suggest that a district attorney's refusal to enter into a sentence bargain would result in a maximum sentence, but this is incorrect, as the judge still must consider the factors of each case (assuming a conviction is won at a trial). A just sentence bargain allows for certainty of the sentence, which benefits victims and advances public safety.
Susan Krones has been a working Lake County prosecutor throughout the changes in sentencing laws. She is well-versed in the current laws, and she has a demonstrated record of ensuring public safety within the bounds of those laws. Susan Krones is the right choice for your vote for district attorney on June 5.
Sharon Lerman is a former Lake County deputy district attorney. She lives in Lakeport, Calif.
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- Written by: Monica Quinn
When I worked for the Lake County District Attorney's Office, Susan Krones was assigned as the supervising attorney of the Child Sexual Assault Vertical Prosecution Unit. I was her sole investigator for three years.
Susan's method of supervising our team was to logically and respectfully state her goals and expectations to all of us. She then clearly maintained the methods used in our unit with spectacular results.
In the beginning, Susan would ask to go with me while I conducted interviews in the field of the children who were victims of either sexual or traumatic abuse. She never interfered with my investigations or interviews, but clearly detailed and instructed me as to her needs for a successful prosecution. Essentially, we worked as a team with Susan utilizing our strengths and improving upon our weaknesses.
With the support of then-District Attorney Stephen Hedstrom, Susan and I established (funded entirely through community donations) Lake County's first Multidisciplinary Interview Center for children who were victims of crimes. On May 1, 2001, U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson honored us for our achievement to the community.
During my three years of working for Susan, our team achieved a 100-percent conviction record for crimes against the children of Lake County. I feel it is my greatest achievement as a law enforcement officer. That goal is significant because it was not only achieved by charging the guilty persons, but equally exonerating the person falsely accused of these horrific crimes.
You cannot work with a person daily and not know their true character, work ethic and devotion to their chosen path in life. Susan has worked tirelessly for over 25 years as a prosecutor and I believe she will utilize this same team approach within the District Attorney’s Office to achieve the same outstanding results.
I hope you, the voters of Lake County, give her the chance on June 5, 2018 with your vote.
Monica J. Quinn lives in Kelseyville, Calif.
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- Written by: Jason Kishineff
As a Green, it is not always easy to get my voice out there, to be heard by you, the voting public. I write these letters, but my good friends that publish the news have limited space and I'm not the only one writing letters; however I'd like to keep the public informed and updated of my quest for a public debate, which seems like one of the best ways a "third party" candidate can get his or her voice heard.
It started out with a challenge to Congressman Mike Thompson, issued through social media, which was ignored. I then wrote a physical letter and mailed a copy to each of his offices and to the newspapers (one paper printed the letter) which also went ignored.
I have been protesting Mr. Thompson's town hall meetings with a sign that says "Debate me, Mike." Mr. Thompson walks right past me, every time, as if I'm a ghost.
I invited my other two opponents to join the protest, but neither one showed up to any of the five protests. So I asked the League of Women Voters to host a debate. I asked one of my opponents to also write to the league (the other has since dropped out). He wouldn't even do that much.
They offered a forum, which would have been spectacular except for one thing: the League's by-laws state that every candidate has to be present or no forum can be held, and Mr. Thompson said that he was unavailable for the two dates the league offered (well over a month in advance).
Well, both dates have come and gone now, and the forums were held, featuring supervisor candidates and info regarding Measures C and D in Napa County.
Looking back at Mr. Thompson's posts on social media, he met with a school supervisor two hours ahead of one of the forums and gave an award to a citizen at 7 a.m. the morning of the other forum.
He doesn't appear to have been truly busy at all, and the voters of this district have a right to know how their "representative" avoids a public debate. Every one of you should be thinking about what doesn't he want the public to know?
Jason Kishineff lives in American Canyon, Calif.