URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n320/a10.html
Source: Redwood Times (Garberville, CA)
PUBLIC SAFETY IS TOP PRIORITY, SAYS DA GALLEGOS AT GARBERVILLE GATHERING
Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos made a reelection campaign stop in Southern Humboldt with an informal conversation with community members at the Civic Club in Garberville on Tuesday evening, April 13.
Although the group was small, the participants were well-informed and the discussion was wide-ranging and lively.
"My first priority is public safety," Gallegos declared at the beginning of the evening. He reiterated this point several times as he described what he has done in his previous seven-plus years in office and what he hopes to do if he is elected for another four-year term.
"I feel confident we've done a great job," Gallegos said. He cited a decrease of violent crime - "always our first goal" - and modernization of office systems as two of his major accomplishments.
For six of the last eight fiscal years, the DA's office has had to contend with budget cuts of 10 to 15%, and cuts are expected for the coming year as well.
Approximately 40% of the DA's budget comes from the county's general fund, and the other 60% from grants, so in addition to his other duties, the DA also must be a fundraiser and grant writer.
Gallegos talked about his approach to various categories of crime, considering both the seriousness of the offense and the feasibility of prosecution.
For example, drug possession and transportation cases are easy to prosecute because law enforcement officers often find the evidence at the scene with the accused person.
Gallegos believes such cases should be handled by referring the offenders for treatment. On the other hand, if a situation involving drugs escalates into a crime against people, such as burglary, robbery, or assault, then it should be prosecuted aggressively and more severe penalties applied.
By contrast, although the offense is more serious, domestic violence cases are difficult to prosecute because the victims often only want the violent behavior to stop, not to send the perpetrator to prison.
Another key issue, Gallegos said, is environmental enforcement. Until recently the Humboldt County DA's office has not had an environmental law attorney on staff. Such cases were handled for the county by specialists from the California District Attorneys Association ( CDAA ).
Attorney Christa McKimmy recently joined the DA's staff to prosecute environmental and consumer cases exclusively. Action has begun on several cases involving local businesses who "feel the laws are only for other people," Gallegos said.
Additionally, the Humboldt County DA's office joins other counties in prosecuting environmental and consumer violations spanning multi-county areas with the assistance of CDAA and the state attorney general.
One participant in the discussion said that law is essentially "kindergarten stuff - no hitting, clean up after yourself."
Gallegos described his political philosophy as, "We are free, but when we join society we give up some of that freedom. Government's first responsibility is to protect public safety and property. Then it should stay out of your way unless there is a compelling reason."
The question-and-answer session began with inquiries about his feelings about the other candidates. Gallegos declined to give specific comments about each candidate, but he admitted that running against three other people increased the likelihood of a run-off election.
Extending the campaign through November means he'll be able to spend less time working. He said he particularly dislikes having to raise money, emphasizing that everyone, rich or poor, deserves equal protection under the law.
Asked why he is running for a third term, Gallegos replied that he wants to finish what he started. In particular, he wants to help train the new generation of attorneys coming up through the DA's office and he would like to continue the technological upgrades that are making it easier to capture, access, and share data with the courts and other law enforcement agencies.
All Gallegos's opponents have criticized him for trying cases himself. He explained, "The first reason I try cases is that I'm an attorney. That's why you elected me - to be district attorney, not district office manager."
His office reviews over 12,000 cases a year with a reduced staff, so he needs to do his share of the work, he said. Furthermore, he believes that when the staff sees him in court, they know he's not asking them to do anything he wouldn't do himself.
Furthermore, when he's in court, the public can measure his performance. "Some people don't want to try cases because they could lose," he said. "They want to insulate themselves from criticism."
As expected in Southern Humboldt, there was an extended discussion of marijuana prosecution, medical marijuana issues, and how legalization might affect the DA's office.
Gallegos declared he is solidly in favor of legalization and regulation similar to regulation of tobacco and alcohol. "Marijuana is a public health and public education issue, not a public safety issue," he said.
"Since taking office I've gotten lots of criticism from law enforcement about my [marijuana] policy," he admitted.
If pot were legalized tomorrow, the likelihood of someone being killed because of involvement with marijuana would be gone, Gallegos said. Kids would be more motivated to go to college and get meaningful work because they would be unable to make more money growing pot.
Legalization would reduce hypocrisy and "make the community upfront, honest, and stable," he concluded.
Regarding the effects of Proposition 215 legalizing marijuana for medical use in California, Gallegos said pot production has to some extent migrated from rural areas to urban areas, resulting in different kinds of crime.
On the one hand, urbanizing marijuana grows has resulted in fewer mysterious deaths and disappearances in the hills, but has increased the likelihood that innocent persons will get caught in the crossfire when violent disputes occur in towns.
Some auxiliary crimes, such as passing counterfeit money, have increased recently, possibly related to the proliferation of medical marijuana.
One participant asked about prosecuting timber companies that violate the California Forest Practices Act and which pollute with herbicide spraying. Complaints to county officials have gone nowhere because the companies have approved permits.
"Bring it to me," Gallegos said. "We may conclude there's nothing we can do but if you don't bring it, we sure can't do anything about it." He sees such pollution as a public safety issue.
Another participant asked which candidate Gallegos supports for Humboldt County Sheriff.
Gallegos replied that he likes Mike Downey, but that because Mike Hislop works in his office as chief investigator, "I know he's a hard worker, smart, a problem solver, and he can work within a budget."
Finally he expressed his openness to new ideas from citizens. For example, he would be glad to hear from the community on how to find positive work for people on probation, such as river cleanup.
Gallegos and other candidates for District Attorney, Kathleen Bryson, Paul Hagen, and Alison Jackson, will meet at a public forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the Civil Liberties Monitoring project on Tuesday, April 27, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Vets Hall in Garberville.
Source: Redwood Times (Garberville, CA)
PUBLIC SAFETY IS TOP PRIORITY, SAYS DA GALLEGOS AT GARBERVILLE GATHERING
Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos made a reelection campaign stop in Southern Humboldt with an informal conversation with community members at the Civic Club in Garberville on Tuesday evening, April 13.
Although the group was small, the participants were well-informed and the discussion was wide-ranging and lively.
"My first priority is public safety," Gallegos declared at the beginning of the evening. He reiterated this point several times as he described what he has done in his previous seven-plus years in office and what he hopes to do if he is elected for another four-year term.
"I feel confident we've done a great job," Gallegos said. He cited a decrease of violent crime - "always our first goal" - and modernization of office systems as two of his major accomplishments.
For six of the last eight fiscal years, the DA's office has had to contend with budget cuts of 10 to 15%, and cuts are expected for the coming year as well.
Approximately 40% of the DA's budget comes from the county's general fund, and the other 60% from grants, so in addition to his other duties, the DA also must be a fundraiser and grant writer.
Gallegos talked about his approach to various categories of crime, considering both the seriousness of the offense and the feasibility of prosecution.
For example, drug possession and transportation cases are easy to prosecute because law enforcement officers often find the evidence at the scene with the accused person.
Gallegos believes such cases should be handled by referring the offenders for treatment. On the other hand, if a situation involving drugs escalates into a crime against people, such as burglary, robbery, or assault, then it should be prosecuted aggressively and more severe penalties applied.
By contrast, although the offense is more serious, domestic violence cases are difficult to prosecute because the victims often only want the violent behavior to stop, not to send the perpetrator to prison.
Another key issue, Gallegos said, is environmental enforcement. Until recently the Humboldt County DA's office has not had an environmental law attorney on staff. Such cases were handled for the county by specialists from the California District Attorneys Association ( CDAA ).
Attorney Christa McKimmy recently joined the DA's staff to prosecute environmental and consumer cases exclusively. Action has begun on several cases involving local businesses who "feel the laws are only for other people," Gallegos said.
Additionally, the Humboldt County DA's office joins other counties in prosecuting environmental and consumer violations spanning multi-county areas with the assistance of CDAA and the state attorney general.
One participant in the discussion said that law is essentially "kindergarten stuff - no hitting, clean up after yourself."
Gallegos described his political philosophy as, "We are free, but when we join society we give up some of that freedom. Government's first responsibility is to protect public safety and property. Then it should stay out of your way unless there is a compelling reason."
The question-and-answer session began with inquiries about his feelings about the other candidates. Gallegos declined to give specific comments about each candidate, but he admitted that running against three other people increased the likelihood of a run-off election.
Extending the campaign through November means he'll be able to spend less time working. He said he particularly dislikes having to raise money, emphasizing that everyone, rich or poor, deserves equal protection under the law.
Asked why he is running for a third term, Gallegos replied that he wants to finish what he started. In particular, he wants to help train the new generation of attorneys coming up through the DA's office and he would like to continue the technological upgrades that are making it easier to capture, access, and share data with the courts and other law enforcement agencies.
All Gallegos's opponents have criticized him for trying cases himself. He explained, "The first reason I try cases is that I'm an attorney. That's why you elected me - to be district attorney, not district office manager."
His office reviews over 12,000 cases a year with a reduced staff, so he needs to do his share of the work, he said. Furthermore, he believes that when the staff sees him in court, they know he's not asking them to do anything he wouldn't do himself.
Furthermore, when he's in court, the public can measure his performance. "Some people don't want to try cases because they could lose," he said. "They want to insulate themselves from criticism."
As expected in Southern Humboldt, there was an extended discussion of marijuana prosecution, medical marijuana issues, and how legalization might affect the DA's office.
Gallegos declared he is solidly in favor of legalization and regulation similar to regulation of tobacco and alcohol. "Marijuana is a public health and public education issue, not a public safety issue," he said.
"Since taking office I've gotten lots of criticism from law enforcement about my [marijuana] policy," he admitted.
If pot were legalized tomorrow, the likelihood of someone being killed because of involvement with marijuana would be gone, Gallegos said. Kids would be more motivated to go to college and get meaningful work because they would be unable to make more money growing pot.
Legalization would reduce hypocrisy and "make the community upfront, honest, and stable," he concluded.
Regarding the effects of Proposition 215 legalizing marijuana for medical use in California, Gallegos said pot production has to some extent migrated from rural areas to urban areas, resulting in different kinds of crime.
On the one hand, urbanizing marijuana grows has resulted in fewer mysterious deaths and disappearances in the hills, but has increased the likelihood that innocent persons will get caught in the crossfire when violent disputes occur in towns.
Some auxiliary crimes, such as passing counterfeit money, have increased recently, possibly related to the proliferation of medical marijuana.
One participant asked about prosecuting timber companies that violate the California Forest Practices Act and which pollute with herbicide spraying. Complaints to county officials have gone nowhere because the companies have approved permits.
"Bring it to me," Gallegos said. "We may conclude there's nothing we can do but if you don't bring it, we sure can't do anything about it." He sees such pollution as a public safety issue.
Another participant asked which candidate Gallegos supports for Humboldt County Sheriff.
Gallegos replied that he likes Mike Downey, but that because Mike Hislop works in his office as chief investigator, "I know he's a hard worker, smart, a problem solver, and he can work within a budget."
Finally he expressed his openness to new ideas from citizens. For example, he would be glad to hear from the community on how to find positive work for people on probation, such as river cleanup.
Gallegos and other candidates for District Attorney, Kathleen Bryson, Paul Hagen, and Alison Jackson, will meet at a public forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the Civil Liberties Monitoring project on Tuesday, April 27, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Vets Hall in Garberville.
