TS - DA Gallegos caters to whims of the left

DA Gallegos caters to whims of the left
Leo Sears
Article Launched: 09/08/2006 04:28:44 AM PDT

Count me among those who take issue with District Attorney Paul Gallegos' declaration that he doesn't make decisions “based on politics.” His track record belies his claimed political neutrality, as well as his statement that his office only files charges where there is sufficient evidence for a "likelihood of success." The cases against Palco and Debi August are oft-cited examples of his political squandering of resources on the weakest of evidence.

The exodus of attorneys (including the very expensive, zero accomplishment, sojourn of Stoen) and all the cases that have been dropped or under charged also lend considerable credence to his critics when they say: It is his catering to the whims of the environmental left that has kept him in office despite his lack of competence.

The unintended release of “confidential” files is revealing what attorneys and professionals with expertise are calling the Mad River “dog abuse scandal.” It only reinforces the ongoing criticism from attorneys and those in law enforcement.

If it were not for all the resources wasted on the failed Palco and August cases, perhaps his deputies might well have given higher priority to the recommended charges in the “dog abuse scandal.” The abuse of those animals and the way it has been handled is absolutely deplorable, but there are some who feel that the handling of the Martinez-Hernandez child sexual abuse case is in many ways much worse.

In that case, as in the “dog abuse scandal,” the investigators' recommended charges were ignored. Although he was accused of nearly 3,000 counts of sexual intercourse, oral copulation and fondling, he was charged with only one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child (without any allegations of force or substantial conduct) and received a sentence of only 16 years. This was a figurative slap on the wrist for an illegal immigrant who, over several years, forcibly raped a young child -- a sexual predator who by all evidence should be serving a sentence of hundreds of years without parole.

The high profile Palco and August boondoggles aside, critics close to the issues consider the Martinez-Hernandez case to be one of the most telling examples of the district attorney's incompetence. They also say it is a case where Gallegos has absolutely no way of shucking the responsibility, because he personally charged the single count without allegations, appeared in court on the case, and personally took the plea.

Now we have his recent rambling “My Word” seeking to discredit his critics by pointing the finger of vigilantism and anarchy. Lashing out at his critics, like a spoiled child reduced to name calling, is sophomoric (adjective: conceited and overconfident of knowledge but poorly informed and immature) and only confirms his incompetence in discharging his duties as the county's top law enforcement officer.

Gallegos' oft-stated independence from the rest of law enforcement is seen by more and more people as not only catering to special interests, but simply a cover for incompetence.

Leo Sears writes a weekly Times-Standard column on issues of local interest. He can be reached at lsjb@cox.net.