This is an archive of a past election. See http://www.smartvoter.org/ca/bt/ for current information. |
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Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues District Attorney; County of Butte | |||||
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The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Butte County and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Why Run?,
Qualifications,
Criminal Justice Issues
Click on a name for candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
Answer from Lance Daniel:
It is also the right time in my personal and professional life to serve in that capacity.
During the course of this campaign, I've met many wonderful and sincere people in Butte County. And I have come to very much appreciate the community, and enjoy its many amenities and outdoor activities.
I look forward to making my home in Butte County serving its people. Answer from Michael L. Ramsey:
Answer from Michael L. Ramsey:
Answer from Lance Daniel:
With my college degree in business administration and nearly two decades of business experience within a successful law practice, I clearly understand, on a practical level, what it's like to run an office including accounting, budgeting, allocation of resources, and management.
I estimate that over the years I handled approximately twelve thousand (12,000)cases. While the majority are criminal cases, they include many hundreds of civil and administrative cases as well.
I've represented clients in court rooms throughout the state. Through my experiences with different counties court systems and district attorney's offices, I've seen what works well and what could be improved. Therefore, my legal knowledge and experiences are both broad and extensive.
I've tried criminal cases from simple infractions to multiple count felonies. I've worked with hundreds of expert witnesses, investigators, lawyers, judges, jury consultants, sentencing experts, and thousands of clients from all walks of life.
I possess excellent people and organizational skills, am balanced, even-tempered, and a good mediator when called upon to settle a dispute.
Additionally, I'm a three time award winning member the prestigious American Inns of Court, have taught legal ethics in a paralegal college and have been a judge pro-tem.
To add an additional perspective, the following is a quote from a nationally famous jury consultant with whom I worked closely on a high profile multiple count felony case:
"I have been a jury consultant for twenty (20) years for both the prosecution and the defense. Some cases for which my office was retained by the prosecution as their jury consultant are: Scott Peterson, Martha Stewart, Michael Jackson, O.J. Simpson (Las Vegas), and Phil Spector.
"Lance Daniel's voir dire of prospective jurors was among the finest I've ever seen. It was a privilege to watch him during trial!
"As someone who grew up in Chico (Paulette Shonley, CHS, '65 and CSUC, '69), I think the citizens of Butte County would be fortunate to elect Lance Daniel as District Attorney."
Answer from Michael L. Ramsey:
of which were resolved in the criminal justice system. The cases have widely varied from toxic and prohibited burning complaints by the Butte County Air Quality Management agency to a 2008 felony level toxic waste dumping at the Ophir Road site in Oroville. Most cases are resolved with misdemeanor convictions although in about 2004 a USFS originated timber theft conviction resulted in a felony sanction.
It has been the goal of the environmental protection unit to prosecute crimes against public health and safety. Our focus has been removing pollution from the Feather River which is accumulating in the fish that are being caught and eaten. We have pursued cases believed to contribute to the pancreatic cancer cluster evident in the Oroville area. These cases in and around the Oroville Industrial area raise serious questions about the safety associated with certain activities.
We have prosecuted illegal toxic material burning in North Chico and insured that a propane truck explosion resulted in compensation to the victims living along the midway.
We prosecuted the illegal removal of lead contaminated paints at Gridley High School.
The environmental protection unit prosecutes all violators on the basis of the harm their activities pose to our children, the elderly, and our community. No one who commits these crimes in Butte County is above the law or beneath the safety net of its protection.
Drug Courts
"The Butte County Drug Court is an adult criminal drug court that began operation in June 1995 with support and funding from the U.S. Department of Justice. Methamphetamine has been the drug of choice in Butte County for nearly 30 years. In 2003, 7,072 criminal cases were filed in Butte County that resulted in approximately 1,800 felony probation cases. Of those felony cases, more than 60 percent are methamphetamine involved. Currently, 87 percent of the drug court clients are methamphetamine users. The Butte County Drug Court Program includes frequent and random drug testing, assertive community supervision, and intensive case management. Communication with treatment and the court team is virtually seamless and is conducted in an immediate fashion, or in real time. Response to client behavior is always therapeutic, evidence based, and applied in a manner consistent with the research on behavior modification techniques. This level of accountability is an excellent strategy for addressing methamphetamine addicts. The court and treatment services are structured to maximize motivation and meet the challenges unique to methamphetamine addicts in early recovery. Approximately 500 participants have graduated from the Butte County Drug Court over the past 9 years, with an aggregate reconviction rate for any misdemeanor or felony of 14.9 percent."
+from the U.S. Department of Justice, "Drug Courts: An Effective Strategy For Communities Facing Methamphetamine," C. West Huddleston III, 2005 Answer from Lance Daniel:
PROBLEM: Tax-payer money continues to be wasted on frivolous prosecutions.
Examples are many but include: Operation Collateral Damage, a.k.a. the auto body shop sting arrests (not one conviction); the continuing seven (7) year long prosecution of a man because garbage was removed from a ditch; a certified organic farmer who was drying peach and prune pits on his property (dismissed) and the prosecution of a local manufacturing company for what turned out to be non-existent violations (dismissed).
SOLUTION: Careful filing of cases after a complete investigation of facts, a determination there is sufficient admissible evidence, and a determination that it is the right thing to do for the citizens of Butte County.
PROBLEM: Unacceptably low conviction rate compared with other counties. (Attorney General, Dept. of Justice, see http://ag.ca.gov/crime.php)
SOLUTION: Good investigation coupled with the filing of appropriate charges. Proper preparation of witnesses and evidence.
PROBLEM: Prosecutions of businesses and farmers for profit which can not only cost jobs but lead to lessening of vital services.
SOLUTION: Gain compliance by giving businesses and farmers a reasonable opportunity to correct potential violations before issuing them costly citations. Only after a business or farmer chooses not to fully comply may charges be filed.
PROBLEM: A court system that is clogged and over-burdened with cases that should have been resolved at much earlier stages.
SOLUTION: Give experienced deputy district attorneys the authority to make fair settlement offers at early stages. Create a consistent and fair guideline for punishments in "garden variety" cases by working with judges, deputy district attorneys, probation officers, and defense counsel.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page. |