TS - Stoen steps down as assistant DA

Stoen steps down as assistant DA
By James Faulk The Times-Standard
Article Last Updated: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 - 6:11:46 AM PST

EUREKA -- District Attorney Paul Gallegos has named Wes Keat as new assistant district attorney to replace Tim Stoen, who will focus on prosecutorial work.

All sides emphasized that the change in titles is no judgment on the performance of Stoen, who has at times been a lightning rod for controversy for his high-profile cases.

Stoen, brought into the office when Gallegos took over for former District Attorney Terry Farmer, said he was glad to work solely on special prosecutions.

"I'm most pleased to be given the position of my original intention," he said Tuesday. "I told Paul at the outset that I would only be assistant DA for one year."

The one-year cap was never mentioned when Gallegos named Stoen as his right-hand man in 2002. Stoen was the first assistant district attorney to be named since 1993.

"He's been on my wish list," Gallegos said at the time. "We've discussed our vision, our ability to work together, and without a doubt he is the most qualified person for the job. It's going to be a wonderful thing for this community."

Now, Gallegos says both Stoen and Keat are doing a good job but that Keat's gift for administrative duties will free up Stoen to concentrate on other things.

"Tim's got his hands full," Gallegos said. "It was a decision I made and I felt it was appropriate. Tim's got a lot of work on his plate and Wes has great administrative ability. He's been filling the administrative duties for a long time."

Keat agreed.

"I think it's reflective of what it is we've actually been doing," Keat said. "Mr. Stoen's been going to court and trying cases and working on some very important things but not doing the administrative stuff that I've been doing."

In early 2003, Gallegos named Keat to take over as chief criminal deputy. Keat, who at the time had been a deputy district attorney for nine years, became part of the management team, making initial decisions on charging cases, serving as first-line adviser on settlement and technical issues facing prosecutors, and acting for Gallegos and Stoen in their absence.

On Tuesday, Stoen said he was initially brought in as "a loyal sounding board" who could help Gallegos get his administration off the ground. While Stoen said he initially committed to only a year to the job, he stuck it out longer because of the attempted recall of Gallegos in 2004.

Since Gallegos took office, Keat has proven himself to be loyal and effective, Stoen said.

"Wes has shown himself from day one to be an outstanding administrator," Stoen said. "It's a smart decision for Wes to be given a title that's commensurate with his administrative expertise."

As for himself, Stoen said he doesn't regret any of his decisions -- from the suit against Pacific Lumber Co. to the case against Fortuna Councilwoman Debi August -- and that the change in job descriptions does not result from poor performance.

"Titles don't mean anything," he said.

Along with high-profile cases for the DA, Stoen launched a brief, abortive run for the U.S. Senate in 2003. He has also achieved notoriety for his former association with the late Jim Jones. Stoen was a legal adviser to the Peoples Temple founder, and he lost his 6-year-old son, John Victor Stoen, who died in a mass suicide orchestrated by Jones in Guyana in 1978.

Stoen had split from the temple the previous year and was in the process of attempting to extricate his son from Jonestown when the killings occurred.