◼ Firpo Seeks To Quit Ferrer Case - Mad River Union
At a Sunday afternoon appearance at the Arcata Community Center, District Attorney candidate Elan Firpo said that she has asked to be removed from the case involving the Nov. 25 stabbing death of Douglas Anderson-Jordet.
...Firpo said there are aspects of the case not known to the public and the other candidates, which she is prohibited from discussing. “I feel I did the right thing,” she said, but added that her participation in the case is no longer helpful. “I need to step aside.”
Firpo also said she’d like to rebuild the “degenerated” prosecutors ranks of the DA, which have withered from 18 to 11 during her time as a deputy DA. She also wants to install “vertical prosecutors” which would specialize in areas such as cannabis and environmental crime, managing cases from initial analysis to final prosecution....
I think Elan's idea of vertical prosecution is a good one. However, Maggie has been talking about this since Nov 2013 when she threw her hat in. So that makes it part of Maggie's platform that Elan is now acknowledging is a good idea. I really think that Elan will do well once Maggie is our new DA.
ReplyDeleteMaggie has a lot she can teach Elan about being a lawyer, but more specifically, a prosecutor.
It won't be long now, Humboldt! Hang in there because our first Lady DA, and best DA ever, Maggie Fleming, is on her way. All you have to do is vote for her. She is hands down the best of the candidates.
Was this vertical prosecution idea a part of Maggie's platform or Ms. Firpo?
DeleteShould we believe you Ms. Bryson since you are the one rebranding Maggie Fleming the green prosecutor as now someone appealing to SoHum?
What deals are you expecting in return Ms. Bryson? Don't you have jail clients to troll and solicit?
Or maybe poach another attorney's client? No serious DA candidate would have you as a supporter.
Personally, my two choices are either Mr. Dollison or Mr. Klein.
While I am supporting Elan, was it really necessary to make personal comments about Kathleen.
DeleteI consider a Kathleen a friend. We disagree sometimes. But respectfully.
'Vertical Prosecution' - and its importance was brought up by both Worth Dikeman and Allison Jackson. And explained in great detail - and it was IGNORED.
ReplyDeleteThis all could have been fixed YEARS AGO.
ALSO - many of the grants are dependent on a Vertical Prosecutor being assigned.
ReplyDeleteSo, it's not unique to any one candidate. Every single one of them understands the importance of it. Paul Gallegos is the only one on the planet who does not grok the situation. He has excused his losing the grants by claiming he was 'weaning' the office from grants because he thought the community should 'support' the DA's office more. Check the names on the grant applications and you tell me if they were actually assigned to the DV and other areas. Fill in the blanks, and hope you don't get caught. Yeah, I know, no one cares. They sure haven't up til now.
For those who don't know what the hell this means - A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VERTICAL PROSECUTOR is a prosecutor who is assigned solely to Domestic Violence cases. A CHILD ABUSE VERTICAL PROSECUTOR is a prosecutor who is assigned to the child abuse cases.
Like a reporter who handles a particular beat, the vertical prosecutor is an expert in that area, knows the law relating to those cases, knows the resources available, knows the law enforcement officers, knows everything there is to know about that beat. It results in better cases being filed. It benefits the victims of crimes who get to deal with the same person all the way through, not a new face every time they show up in court.
These are highly sensitive cases, and the ability of a victim to deal with the same person builds trust and helps them stand strong when it comes to testifying.
Gallegos' much-touted-by-his-fanboys approach has been to toss every prosecutor around like a ping-pong ball, never leaving them in any one place long enough to have any in-depth knowledge of any area, and no time to build relationships with law enforcement and other experts in any field. All while claiming that this schizophrenic approach makes 'his team' stronger because they can be dropped into any case at any time.
Vertical Prosecution is essential in certain cases, but it does call for some administrative finesse and administrative expertise. Ms. Fleming has not only served as a vertical prosecutor in homicides, child sex cases, and as the assigned Drug Task Force prosecutor, Mr. Gallegos also called upon Maggie to direct CAST, the quintessential vertical prosecution unit.
ReplyDeleteNone of the other candidates have served as a vertical prosecutor, nor administered such a process. They may each have some skills, but Ms. Fleming is the whole package that this County desperately needs.
Here's what happened to CAST.
ReplyDeletelink
I don't know what the current numbers are.
Will Maggie Fleming assign a vertical prosecutor to all the midnight Jail releases who she wants to go voluntarily sit in the jail lobby, and hopes nothing bad happens. That is her solution to protect the community. She lost our vote when she parroted the ridiculous solution of her endorser Sheriff Downey. Who will be the next victim of this terrible policy? We will have 4 more years of fear, since Maggie Fleming doesn't have the guts to tell her Law enforcement endorsers they are wrong.
ReplyDeleteNo, vertical prosecutor's are needed on complex cases, not people who've been arrested, but aren't yet in trial.
ReplyDeleteAnd, despite the characterization, prosecutors, Deputy DA's tell 'law enforcement endorsers' that they're wrong ALL the time. If they are.
In fact, CAST and SART came about to HELP everyone do their jobs better. To properly gather evidence. To properly interview victims and witnesses. To avoid leading questions. To avoid failures in court, to avoid having to give away a case that should go forward because mistakes have been made.
4:28, I doubt you care, but the fact is prosecutors have no say regarding when the Sheriff releases prisoners and no prosecutor, vertical or otherwise, has ever been assigned to jail releases, because it's not the DA's job to run the jail just like it's not the Sheriff's job to decide what to prosecute, or how. None of the candidates has any answer for the question, and the fact is there has been precisely one tragedy in how many years? But again, I doubt you are interested in facts.
ReplyDeleteHi.
ReplyDeleteAgain, I am flattered, not just for myself, but for Maggie Fleming. I am flattered by Anonymous 4:54's personal attack. Clearly, I am hitting a nerve. Also, since s/he cannot criticize Maggie, s/he is going after me.
So, let's start with some basics:
1)Vertical prosecution is known by all who have ever prosecuted. For Elan to discuss it in Arcata is for her to state that which is already widely known. For her to use the language that Maggie used months before her, clearly doesn't make it her idea. She has only been a prosecutor (and a lawyer) since 2009. When I was deputy DA in this county in 2007 and 2008, our office was doing vertical prosecution. It was also employed in Contra Costa County when Maggie prosecuted there. Name any county and they know about it because they are doing it.
2)I am not re-branding Maggie. She doesn't need it. I introduced her to So Hum and they like her. Not just because she is clearly the most qualified DA candidate, but because she is a kind and decent person who actually knows how to listen. Who else has the skill and experience to deal with drug and cannabis issues than a deputy DA one who vertically prosecuted it for 4 years? None of the other candidates have done that in Humboldt County. So Hum - and the rest of our great county - deserves the best.
3)What deal do I want in return? Here's the deal: Finally having a decent DA who will look after our county. I am a wife, mother, sister, neighbor, and friend in this county. I want to be safe too. That comes before what I do for a living.
4)"Troll" is an interesting word but I would need you to define what you think it means. I take it is some sort of derogatory verb. As for solicit, I cannot do in person solicitation for profit. It is against the California Bar's Professional Code of Conduct. However, I can visit someone in jail if they call me and want me to or if their family calls and wants me to. I can also network. I do not believe in TV or even radio advertisement to get the word out about my business. I get countless calls from businesses who want me to pay for this type of marketing, but I think that word of mouth, phonebook, NCJ, and giving to charity is enough to keep me the busiest private criminal defense attorney in the county...male or female.
4)Poach a client? No, that is impossible. Cannot be done without the client's consent. If a client wants to retain my services, and they have a case which I can help them with, then I do. If they feel that I can do a better job than the attorney they have, then that is their own choice.
And it is your choice to try and discredit me. If you have issues with me, why not call my office and I'll treat you to a coffee? You can air your grievances then rather than hide behind anonymity.
Good Night to everyone during this festive DA political season! Take care, all anonymous people. (-: