Seeking excellence?

In Daniel Mintz'a recent article, Paul Gallegos opines that his yet-to-be-created "environmental crimes unit" will be about "excellence." This is laughable when you consider what has happened to Paul Hagen and Allison Jackson. Both were excellent - and effective - prosecutors. Both fired by Paul Gallegos. It seems excellence is not something Gallegos strives for.

Both disappeared from public view after years of service - almost without a trace. But they didn't sink entirely unnoticed beneath the waves (see the following letter to the editor and My Word):

Stewards disappointed about Hagen's dismissal
by Tim Ayres and Aryay Kalaki, 7/17/2006

We were stunned and deeply disappointed to learn that the environmental prosecutor for Humboldt, Del Norte and Lake counties has been fired.

Paul Hagen has prosecuted environmental crimes effectively since he was hired in 1999. We feel that this is a huge loss for all three counties.

When Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos was first elected, he brought Hagen to the Dunes Forum, where the prosecutor offered precise information on the court system and how the community could best participate in environmental cases, also offering to provide a public workshop, which the forum then organized for the community.

After the presentation, he graciously made himself available for any future projects we thought would be helpful for the community.

We provided information ourselves to Hagen regarding Clam Beach violations and he proved diligent in exploring every possible avenue of action that the evidence warranted. His dedication and action were impressive and greatly appreciated.

From his work on the job to his involvement in the community, including an eloquent statement as a citizen at the historic Eureka LNG hearing, we were confident that the public interest of Humboldt County had a strong advocate in the D.A.’s Office in the person of Paul Hagen.

Humboldt District Attorney Gallegos says that the California District Attorney’s Association, the organization that employed Hagen, is solely responsible for his termination, yet the chairperson of the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee, Patrick Riggs, states to the press that he understands why Gallegos would “clean house” and fire Hagen (himself a Democratic Central Committee member), for what appears to be primarily a request for a review of the committee’s endorsement process as two Democrats (Gallegos and Dikeman) were running against each other for the same position of District Attorney in the last election.

The Committee rejected the request and voted to endorse Gallegos.

Even with the California District Attorney’s Association pulling the trigger, what was the nature of the Humboldt D.A.’s office input in that decision? Hagen’s record of prosecuting environmental crime is impressive and in the past D.A. Gallegos has publicly praised him.

Following an $800,000 fine against a mill for polluting bay water brought by the North Coast Regional Water Quality Board, Department of Fish and Game and the Humboldt County District Attorney’s office, in an April 2003 press release Gallegos stated, “None of this would be possible without the hard work and commitment of Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagen. We’re grateful that he’s part of our office and for all the work he does.”

Now, Gallegos has stated that the decision to terminate Hagen was not political, but there appears to be little other reason for it.

The Del Norte and Lake County district attorneys appear to be interested in answers as well, since they both are on record as saying they were not notified of the decision until after the termination and have questions of their own as they face the hole left by Hagen’s departure.

All that we know for certain is that we have lost an intelligent and dedicated prosecutor of environmental crime, and that this move warrants full examination and accountability, as people of this caliber are few and far between.

We ask: Has the public’s best interest been served here? We sincerely hope that those who care about the environment in all three counties, which were served so well by Paul Hagen, will join us in pursuing the answers.

(Tim Ayres and Aryay Kalaki are members of the Beach and Dunes Stewards.)
(The Eureka Reporter did not carry any of Riggs’ comments.)
http://www.eurekareporter.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ArticleID=13075

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Puzzled and concerned over DA's dismissal of Jackson
http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2906~2215979,00.html
My Word by Dave Parris

I have been a detective in Humboldt County for 20 years, and in law enforcement for 27. In all of those years, I have rarely seen decisions made that so clearly and negatively impact the safety and well-being of our community as the dismissal of Allison Jackson from the District Attorney's Office.

Allison Jackson has served as a senior prosecuting attorney for 10 years in this county. Her relationship with law enforcement is one of mutual respect and dependence. Seasoned detectives and patrol officers gladly work with her to provide tight, thorough investigations. Younger, less-experienced officers have sought her instruction and advice, resulting in an educated force dedicated to finding the truth. She continually cross-trains with law enforcement, developing professional relationships with individuals while learning what law enforcement has to teach, never assuming she stands in place of investigators, but instead, at their side.

Allison Jackson has been a front-runner in this county for promoting investigative and prosecutorial procedures which keep in mind the complexity of child abuse dynamics, the sensitivity surrounding the details of a case, and the inherent strengths of child witnesses. She has participated in the Child Abuse Services Team, the Sexual Assault Response Team, and Child Death Review, all with the intention of keeping Humboldt County's awareness of child abuse sharply in focus. She actively seeks out and implements state-of-the-art practices formed around laws that protect our youngest victims. Child examinations, whether in the form of an interview, a medical procedure or testimony have been uncompromisingly guarded by Allison, as she requires her colleagues and her opponents to maintain standards of practice much higher than those held across the state.

Allison Jackson is a seasoned, winning litigator. Noted as a "bulldog" by law enforcement and defense teams alike, she aggressively charges, resolute in her responsibility to hold people accountable for crimes they committed. The defense teams who speak against her do so for her disinclination to plea-bargain away counts of criminal activity she can prove occurred. When Jackson knows she can protect a child for 10 or 15 years more by going to trial instead of plea-bargaining, she'll do it. She lays waste to "defense experts" who are paid high prices to tear down child victims and keeps their often outdated, irrelevant testimony out of a trial. Prosecuting to the fullest extent possible, while upholding the integrity of the judicial system, is the earmark of a talented, committed attorney.

I am astounded at the decision to dismiss Allison Jackson. For 10 years she has prosecuted child molesters, and of those cases she has had one hung jury, no other losses. Her partnership with law enforcement is outstanding, and more importantly, necessary to the ongoing development of well-balanced investigations. Her commitment to children and families has repeatedly drawn praise from public and private organizations, as well as the Board of Supervisors.

I am confused. In April of this year, in the month of Child Abuse Awareness, Paul Gallegos stood in front of the Board of Supervisors and invited Allison to speak on behalf of his office. He followed that invitation by handing her the proclamation from the Board of Supervisors which applauded the efforts of the Child Abuse Services Team. In doing so, he publicly recognized her in particular, among all the team members surrounding him.

And finally, I am devastated at the loss this represents to the professional and private communities of Humboldt County. With one less outstanding deputy district attorney, the quality of service will diminish. The talent and skill she brought to the DA's office is lost to this county. And this over a "personnel matter."

Was the matter of her dismissal "personnel" or "personal?"

The community deserves an answer.

Dave Parris is a detective with the Eureka Police Department. He lives in Eureka.

The answer is here:
http://northcoastjournal.com/051806/news0518.html#news

Forged documents and six pounds of weed
Why did District Attorney Paul Gallegos fire a top prosecutor?
by HANK SIMS