RE: Peace Officers Back DA Recall
This is a horribly, horribly biased article. I hope everyone writes
letters to the editor on this one.
The DA put out a statement to the press and, amazingly, the Times
Standard didn't quote from it.
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Michael Shellenberger, Americans for Energy Freedom, 510-525-9900, cell
415-309-4200, fax 510-288-1325, www.apolloalliance.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Twombly [mailto:twom-@cwo.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2003 11:03 AM
To: aeb_hu-@topica.com
Subject: Peace Officers Back DA Recall
Eureka Times-Standard
Peace officers' group backs DA recall
By Chris Durant The Times-Standard
Thursday, May 29, 2003 -
EUREKA -- The rank and file of Humboldt County law enforcement employees
came out strongly Wednesday in support of the effort to recall
controversial District Attorney Paul Gallegos.
The Humboldt Deputy Sheriff's Organization represents 146 Humboldt
County law enforcement personnel, including investigators for the
District Attorney's Office.
Standing on the county courthouse steps at midday, David Morey,
president of the organization, labeled the freshman district attorney's
stance on crime as being too soft. He was also critical of Gallegos'
decision earlier this year to liberalize the growing and use of medical
marijuana.
"As the largest local peace officers association in Humboldt County, the
HDSO felt it was important to let voters know its position on the major
issue," Morey said.
The organization has 146 members. During a May 19 meeting, more than 70
percent of them voted in favor of the effort.
"It was a difficult decision," Morey said. "But we found it was time to
take a public stance."
Morey said no one defended Gallegos at the meeting but the only debate
was over fear of retribution for speaking out.
"Our decision to support the recall was based on a number of serious
concerns raised by our membership," Morey said. "Members are deeply
troubled by the DA's soft approach to criminal prosecution, his liberal
stance on growing and possession of marijuana and his excessive use of
plea bargaining."
The origination represents deputies from the Humboldt County Sheriff's
Department, the Humboldt County Probation Department, Humboldt County
deputy coroners and the Humboldt County Welfare Fraud investigators.
Recently Gallegos came in for sharp criticism from members of the Eureka
Police Department after he came to a deal with two men who went on a
late-night shooting spree, dropping several of the charges against the
two. No one was injured in the incident.
Morey said some of the probation officers have become overwhelmed with
the amount of cases that come to them regarding plea bargains.
He said the organization is not against the compassionate use of medical
marijuana, but thinks Gallegos' guidelines are excessive.
Morey also alluded to previous comments by Gallegos saying he does not
need a close working relationship with local police.
"That's poppycock," Morey said. "Speaking for the men and women who wear
the badges and have committed themselves to public safety, we find it
incredible that the county's chief law enforcement officer could take
such an extraordinary position."
Morey said the decision to support the recall effort has nothing to do
with the Pacific Lumber Co. lawsuit. (See story below.)
"I'm sure this will be a benefit to that effort," Morey said. "But
that's not why I'm here."
Gallegos has been in office just five months.
On May 1, under increasingly vocal criticism, Gallegos issued a printed
recall response, which included him stating that "shady political
operatives" were attacking him "because I am tough on crime --
especially corporate crime."
In that he also defended his medical marijuana policy, saying it was
fair and more effective than his predecessor, Terry Farmer's, was. He
said the defendants in the shooting spree faced up to seven years in
prison, a "tough sentence by any measurement."
Gallegos did not return phone calls by press time Wednesday.
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