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Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Wanted: Honest, Crime-Fighting GOP Candidate For Prosecutor
Allow me to let you in on a secret. Disgraced Marion Co. Prosecutor Carl Brizzi has already decided he won't be a candidate for re-election. Nonetheless, he is delaying an official announcement as long as possible to deter potential Republican candidates from entering the 2010 prosecutor race. The reason behind the delay is so the political insiders can ram through slating a handpicked stooge who will provide assurances to the powers-that-be that he or she will do as their told if elected and not take prosecution of public corruption seriously. As an elected Republican committeeperson, I would urge prospective Republican candidates to step forward immediately. The Marion County Democrats have already decided they're going to run a "go-along to get-along" candidate next year. If there are any honest, qualified candidates out there who will pledge to clean up the deep-seated corruption in this county, please come forward immediately. Time is running out.
You and Ogden are lawyers. You are both intensely involved in politics. You know corruption and where it breeds. Perhaps one of you should do it.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine what The People would think as they dug through the archives of your blogs as you discuss all of the atrocities completely ignored by the prosecutors office?
And you did it for no other reason than it was the right thing to do for The People. You've put in so much time as a public servant already. No one could deny your sincerity.
No other candidates out there have cared enough to call out the corruption on a daily basis. They seem more on the take than anything.
Maybe it is time to take the next step, Gary.
Howzabout Mark Rutherford? He used to be a Republican until the party took a hard Left into wacko fascist land.
ReplyDeleteHe's a former Deputy Prosecutor. I'm sure he'd run as a Libertarian Republican if asked politely.
Melyssa, Thanks, but I have very limited prosecutorial experience. There are many good attorneys who specialize in criminal law who are more qualified than me. I'm hoping some of those people will come forward.
ReplyDeleteIf Mark is interested, I'm sure there would be some of us very interested in talking to him about it.
ReplyDeleteHFFT,
ReplyDeleteLike Gary, my criminal law experience is limited. While I got a lot of experience in criminal law clerking at the Court of Appeals, my representation of criminal court clients have rarely been more than maybe 10% of my practice.
While the Marion County Prosecutor's Office is more about administration, the electorate is always going to expect substantial criminal experience. I would say thought that Gary and I both probably have more criminal law experience than Melina Kennedy had when she ran. Of course that lack of experience also doomed her.
I agree that Rutherford or someone like him, would be good. We need someone honest, a straight shooter, someone who won't be afraid to prosecute white collar crime and political corruption.
I'm not sure how Rutherford could get by a rigged slating though if he went that route. It's tough enough to win slating against the party establishment when it's a small senate district. It's a lot tougher when it is county-wide.
I agree with Gary regarding the reason for the delay in Brizzi's announcement - they are delaying so they can hand pick the Republican candidate.
While your looking for those "...who will pledge to clean up the deep-seated corruption in this county", try to find some newpaper reporters and school board members as well.
ReplyDeleteI think Clarke Campbell is a Deputy Prosecutor and a Republican. Plus, he isn't tied down to the IPS School Board anymore.
ReplyDeleteGuys? Didn't Melina Kennedy run with no experience? You HIRE tough guys with criminal experience and oversee the office.
ReplyDeleteEither one of you could overcome your lack of criminal prosecution experience via all you've written in your blogs regarding unchecked corruption.
And last I checked David O and Greg Bowes don't have criminal prosecution experience either.
And Rutherford? He'll never run as an Republican. Our only chance to court him would be as a Libertarian. He's principled that way.
ReplyDeleteI would personally like to see Liz Karlson run, but I don't think I can talk her into it.
ReplyDeleteI would support and vote for Liz. In a heart beat. Indy would benefit from her in office.
ReplyDeleteThe guy that makes the most sense for the GOP insiders to run is Ryan Vaughn, the GOP lapdog who was defeated recently for Teresa Lubbers old state senate seat won by The People's candidate Scott Schneider.
I'd be happy with either Welsh, Ogden, or Karlson as prosecutor. And I know if I was ever guilty of a crime none of them would give me preferential treatment because I'm a friend. They would be fair.
And that is all I want. I want the law applied equally to all.
HFFT,
ReplyDeleteActually Bowes used to be a deputy prosecutor and represented criminal defendants in his law practice to a certain degree, not sure how much.
I agree with what you're saying about it being an administrative position chiefly and how you can hire good people to do the criminal, but the fact is you stil have to get elected and there you would constantly fight the perception that the prosecutor should have a wealth of criminal experience.
Greg Bowes was a Deputy Prosecutor under Jeff Modisett as was front-runner Terry Curry.
ReplyDeleteCurry also has a record of prosecuting the same types of crimes that have not been prosecuted under the current officeholder, white collar crime.
You are correct though that David Orentlicher does not have any prosecutorial experience. He does, however, have legislative experience as well as expertise as as a constitutional law professor.
Liz Karlson is a good idea for prosecutor. Doubt she could be convinced to run, but it's a admirable idea. I thought she was more interested in a judge's seat at a later time.
ReplyDeleteAs they say the seeds don't fall far from the tree.