"The responsibility for this tragedy to have occurred should be solely laid out right upon the front of both of their feet."

◼ A comment, left by NorCalGuy101, here: Jason Warren’s Surviving Victims Discuss Cruz Waivers, the Death Penalty and the Importance of Cultivating Goodness - Ryan Burns/Lost Coast Outpost

...Warren has now been found guilty of murdering Hoopa woman Dorothy Ulrich, and doing so after lying in wait and torturing her. He was also found guilty of murdering HSU lecturer Suzanne Seemann and attempting to murder her friends and fellow educators Terri Vroman Little and Jessica Hunt. The three women were out for a run that morning when Warren, driving a car he’d stolen from Ulrich, passed them in the opposite direction, turned around and ran them down from behind at high speed.

The trial lasted a month, and the tragic morning itself is now more than three years past....

Seemann said his compulsion to be there every day stemmed partly from a kinship with Suzie’s parents and Hunt and Vroman Little and also Ulrich’s mother, Shirley Ortega. They were there to represent the deceased and to bear witness, he said. But he was also aware that the fate of the man who killed his wife was being placed in the hands of two attorneys — prosecutor Paul Sequeira and defense attorney Glenn Brown — and he wanted to hold them accountable.

“We needed to convey that there can’t be any mistakes,” Seemann said.

The Cruz Waiver

Or any more mistakes, he might well have said. From the beginning, this case has been tinged with anger and blame over a legal maneuver that allowed Warren to commit the crimes. Roughly a month before the murders, Warren was granted a Cruz waiver, part of a plea deal that allowed him out of jail and promised a lighter sentence. In exchange, Warren agreed to obey all laws and show up for his a Sept. 7, 2012, sentencing hearing. He did neither, of course, and thus the Cruz waiver proved to be a catastrophic error in judgment.

Judge Timothy Cissna, who heard the double-murder case, was the one who granted the Cruz waiver, but Hunt said she’s more angry at the deputy district attorney who was in the courtroom at the time and especially his then-boss, former DA Paul Gallegos.

“That’s who I blame,” Hunt said. “Part of their job is to be on top of who is getting processed in the courtroom, to be able to speak with authority about yes or no, that’s an OK person to get a Cruz waiver.”

In the aftermath of the crimes, Gallegos refused to admit that Warren should not have been set free. While saying he wished to God that his office had opposed the Cruz waiver or that the judge hadn’t granted it, Gallegos was quoted in the Times-Standard saying, “I don’t question the decision that was made. It was the right decision for that time.”

Seemann said that “decision” was likely ill-informed. “I actually arranged for a Public Records Act request to see what policies that office had for Cruz waivers, and what we discovered was that they had none,” he said. “So I think there was clearly a lack of clarity and direction” in the office....

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"...there was clearly a lack of clarity and direction” in the office...."

And there it is. In a nutshell. From beginning to end, what defined Paul Gallegos' term in office as Humboldt County DA. It was evident in the beginning, and he never made any attempt to improve. Never. Law enforcement sounded the alarm early on. Prosecutors warned. This blog came about in part because so many had so much information they were afraid to speak themselves. The Grand Jury called it out. People who left the office described conditions in the office (and still do). And he never made any attempt to improve.

It was slipshod.

And people died. Not just the two in this case, either.

In the end, though, you can add the pot community to the list of those who are to blame. These two people were sacrificed on the altar of Humboldt weed. They kept him office, with their votes and their money. Knowing. And make no mistake, They Knew.

And, Ryan Burns article, linked above, is an excellent piece.

So sorry it had to be written.

The End: 12 years, Voodoo Dolls, no remorse, and resounding commentary on Paul Gallegos' treatment of the victim's family.

From the family's statement, via John Chiv's post:

The family of Douglas would like to publicly thank DDA Roger Rees and DA Maggie Fleming for thier compassion and commitment to pursuing this case and obtaining justice for Douglas. They have restored our faith in the justice system which was badly damaged under the administration of Paul Gallegos.

Hopefully now the healing can begin.

◼ "The victim just happened to be my brother, it could have just as easily been anyone else", Doug Anderson's family express safety concerns for Humboldt County and Arcata citizens - John Chiv/Words Worth June 15, 2015

THIS MATTERS - JERRY BROWN, PAY ATTENTION. The victim's family read their statement today, as reported by John Chiv at the link above:

Don's wife, Patty Anderson was the last to read. In her own letter, she spoke very eloquently and powerfully about the anguish the family went through with the defense smearing the name of Doug in the past year and a half, how former DA Paul Gallegos hid facts from them, would not communicate with them, tried to railroad them into accepting the plea deal he wanted to offer and how he refused to give them current DA Maggie Fleming's contact information.

"I tried very hard to find forgiveness," she said. "I found forgiveness elusive." Citing the former prosecutor and DA Paul Gallegos who she singled out in scathing words, the defense smears and the complete lack of remorse by Juan Ferrer as reasons.

Patty Anderson talked about the "irreparable damage" done to "Doug's reputation" by the "resulting publicity in the Humboldt County DA's election." And she added, "No thanks to Paul Gallegos who argued against us in court."

She mentioned delay after delay or Paul Gallegos not offering them any explaination. All this has been detailed in my coverage last year when Paul Gallegos prosecuted the case. Patty Anderson said she found out about Nicholas Stoiber's and Sophie Rocheleau's plea deal in the media, not from Paul Gallegos.

That same refrain has played out over and over and over throughout Paul Gallegos' tenure as DA of Humboldt County. There have been complaints filed with the Attorney General, in hopes that something would be done, and nothing ever was. Any complaint was deemed 'political' and shelved.

It is a tragedy to see it yet again. The pain behind those tales, you need to pay attention, and not reward this man with any steps up the ladder. Not even on a pot board. ESPECIALLY NOT AS A JUDGE!

◼ Juan Ferrer made a voodoo doll to try and control the trial and after being convicted, was caught saying even after he "fucking killed" the victim Humboldt County gave him voluntary manslaughter instead of murder - John Chiv/Words Worth June 15, 2015
In one of the phone recordings he said he had no remorse for killing Doug and that he did not know how he would display remorse when probation would interview him. He said even though he "fucking killed" the victim, Humboldt County gave him voluntary manslaughter instead of murder.

In these recordings he said he described a voodoo doll he drew of DDA Roger Rees, drew pins on it and then covered it with his own blood he got from testing his blood sugar so he could control the outcome of the trial.
◼ Instead of expressing remorse, Ferrer makes his statement all about himself - John Chiv/Words Worth June 15, 2015

As he was being led away in cuffs, he turned to his family and said, "I'll be all right, I'll appeal and win."

◼ Juan Ferrer sentenced to maximum term of 12 years - John Chiv/Words Worth Jun 15, 2015

Judge John Feeney sentenced Ferrer to the maximum term of 11 years for voluntary manslaughter plus 1 year for special allegation of using a weapon.

The term is consecutive and Ferrer will be on parole/post supervision release for 3 years after his release.

◼ Ferrer sentenced to 12 years in prison - Paul Mann/Mad River Union June 15, 2015

Jurors dealt with a considerable lack of evidence: the murder weapon was missing and there were no usable blood samples, impartial eyewitnesses to the stabbing or surveillance videos of the physical encounter.

End of an error

January 5th, 2015

Surf's up?

Where is Paul Gallegos?

◼ "Every week we come back and hear the same excuse"; attorneys in Ferrer case express frustration with delays by Gallegos - John Chiv/Words Worth

Today in Courtroom 4, the Ferrer case was scheduled for status of discovery and a motion to dismiss the case against Sophie Rocheleau. Paul Gallegos, who is prosecuting the case, has missed several court dates and hearings have been continued several times.

That happened again today. ADA Kelly Neel told the court some time when the hearing was underway that Mr. Gallegos is ill and that decisions regarding issues brought up by Mr. Marek Reavis who represents Juan Ferrer and Mr. Benjamin Okin, who represents Rocheleau, be discussed when Mr. Gallegos is back next week....

"Every week we come back and hear the same excuse," was Mr. Reavis' response and frustration when Ms. Neel responded to his statements at the start of hearing.

Several times, Mr. Reavis and the attorneys have requested X-rays and information on autopsy essential to their case, and finally today, only Mr. Reavis received two CDS, both which he said were duplicates. There were two dozen "images that had never been discovered before, according to Mr. Reavis." He told the Judge that "this is material that should have been discovered the first week."

He told Judge Reinholtsen he renews his request for sanctions. Mr.Okin and Ms. Jennifer Dixon who represents Nicholas Stoiber did not even get these CDS. - Read the rest.
__________________
C'mon, MAN! It's a couple more months is all. Then you're free. DO YOUR JOB.

Now Paul wants to (RE) consolidate the Ferrer defendants

◼ People oppose motion to sever Ferrer but have yet to file; another date set - John Chiv/Words Worth

So now there is another date set for the motion to (re)consolidate.
__________________
Another delay, delay, delay, not ready, mixed messages...

Motion to sever in Ferrer granted, Gallegos does not show up, hangs DDA Curtis out to dry

◼ Defense attorneys are still awaiting discovery and District Attorney Paul Gallegos who opposed the motion to sever already had the case continued once and today did not even show up for Court. Instead he had DDA Zach Curtis ask for another week with no reason, again. - John Chiv/Words Worth 8/11/14 2:31

The defense attorneys were frustrated and asked their motion to sever be granted. Judge Reinholtsen said he cannot rule if People have not responded.When Mr. Curtis was asked to comment he said it is not case and that if defense attorneys were going to criticize Mr. Gallegos, "it is more appropriate to have Mr. Gallegos here."

Mr. Reavis responded with, "I agree."

"After the barn door has been shut, he's complaining about the horses getting loose," Bohn said. "The best thing that comes out of this is, with a new DA coming in, maybe they will be more financially sophisticated to work with the monies that are provided as we work out of these tough times that we've had."

◼ District attorney, Humboldt County officials disagree on office staffing - Will Houston

First District Supervisor and board Chairman Rex Bohn said the district attorney's office's General Fund allocation has increased by 67 percent since the 2004-2005 budget year.

"He's got about 20 percent more funding in the last 10 years than the public defender's office," Bohn said. "When you're talking discretionary funding, Paul gets between 5 to 6 percent of our discretionary money that is available. To say we don't care about public safety, it's disingenuous at the best and pretty false in the long run."

The Board of Supervisors recently voted to place a sales tax measure on the November ballot that would primarily be used to fund public safety services, such as the sheriff's office and district attorney's office.

With the 2014-2015 county budget already set, Bohn said Gallegos claims come too late.

"After the barn door has been shut, he's complaining about the horses getting loose," Bohn said. "The best thing that comes out of this is, with a new DA coming in, maybe they will be more financially sophisticated to work with the monies that are provided as we work out of these tough times that we've had."
_____________________
NOTE - "humboldtturtle" commented on the Times-Standard's article, a typical knee-jerk-defend-Gallegos-at-all-cost approach: Do I get this right? Rex is saying his sophisticated answer to the county's financial problems is to raise taxes. Gallegos says allocate your funds more wisely instead, and is called a liar for it? I wish t'was bohn were gohn...

The response: Oh, c'mon, humboldtturtle, you know FULL WELL that Gallegos has mismanaged that office. A Grand Jury pointed out YEARS ago that ""Weak leadership and poor managerial practices" have undermined the office... Implicit in all evidence gathered by the Grand Jury - including interviews with the D.A. - is the unfortunate truth that the D.A. exhibits a limited understanding of how things are done in the department" Gallegos "lacks the global perspective needed to keep the department operating efficiently," and quotes an unnamed staff member as saying, "The D.A. does not fully understand the functionality of many of the things we do here" - Years later, in his own words: "I’m not an administrator, they didn’t elect me to be an administrator, they elected me to make sure this office runs..."

It wasn't even in dispute during the last election, EVERY SINGLE CANDIDATE POINTED TO THE UTTER DETERIORATION. Gallegos lost, fired, or drove away all of the County's top prosecutors and has been utterly unable to replace them.

Gallegos has lost the grants that are critical to funding the office. You know this, and so should the author of this article.

Yet now, Gallegos accuses everyone else of not having their priorities in order.

That's just sick.
_____________________
And, btw, Will Houston STILL, apparently, has not done his homework.

WHY did Gallegos not fill the positions as they became open, Will? The money did not evaporate.

So much for the idea that The Times-Standard will EVER do any decent reporting when it comes to Paul Gallegos.

◼ District attorney displeased with attorney staffing ratio - Will Houston, shame on you for letting him get away with this drivel.

BLAMING THE COUNTY FOR THE FACT THAT HE HAS LOST, FIRED, OR DRIVEN AWAY THE COUNTY'S MOST EXPERIENCED PROSECUTORS!

AND HE HAS FAILED TO FILL THE POSITIONS. NO ONE ELSE IN THE COUNTY HAD ANYTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH IT, WILL.

HE IS UNABLE TO ATTRACT ANYONE TO COME WORK HERE. WHY IS THAT, WILL?

HE LOST THE GRANTS THAT PAID FOR POSITIONS, WILL. AND HE TRILLED TO THE PUBLIC THAT HE WAS 'WEANING' HIMSELF OFF GRANTS, WILL. DID YOU KNOW THAT? WERE THEY HIS TO GIVE UP? NO, THEY BELONGED TO THE COUNTY, WILL, AND HE LOST THEM.

HE HAD 19 PROSECUTORS WHEN HE CAME IN. HOW MANY DOES HE HAVE NOW? AND YOU LET HIM GET AWAY WITH BLAMING THE COUNTY?

BULLSHIT.

IT IS THIS PISS-POOR REPORTING THAT HAS GONE ON FOR YEARS, AND HAS PUT US WHERE WE ARE. IF EVEN ONCE YOU GUYS DID YOUR JOB, MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, YOU WOULD STILL HAVE THOSE PROSECUTORS.

DO YOUR GODDAMN HOMEWORK.

Alternate Title: Paul Gallegos just realized he lost more than half his staff, and has a ton of unfilled positions just sitting there open, blames everyone else for his failure to do his job, reporter buys it, hook, line and sinker.

Something as basic as transcripts

How long has the Ferrer case been going on? MONTHS! Gallegos can't even manage the basic, simple underpinnings of a trial at this point. In a murder case no less.

Continual reports that things have just absolutely deteriorated in that office - I told you it would be on full display, and it is. Everything. Proven true. Not. Even. In. Dispute.

Do you get it now?

Paul needs to resign now. BEFORE it gets any worse. This is just sickening. It's pathetic. God help the families in this case.

◼ Paul requests two more weeks in Ferrer because all transcripts not ready - John Chiv/Words Worth

And this is just about whether or not the cases should be severed/tried separately. Not even the full trial yet.

I wonder how many people who have been his vociferous supporters would actually hire this man to represent them, once he is in private practice. You have to, guys, to prove that you stand by your convictions. Here, he has a full staff to support him, and he can't even get the basic, simple aspects of the case ready in time. Why is that?

Lotta 'continuing' going on...

◼ McCovey three co defendant case continued; Sept 15 preliminary scheduled - John Chiv/Words Worth

All these cases piling up, time running out, regular questions about 'WHERE IS PAUL?"

Look, technically, he only has to go into the office something like once a month. He can ride this thing out at full pay until mid January.

Imagine the mess by then.

An IMPORTANT case like the WARREN MURDER case, and he's a no show, AGAIN. And that's not all.

◼ Not only does he not show up for the Warren hearing; Paul throws Curtis under the bus for what may be a possible violation of a court order - John Chiv/Words Worth

Today in Courtroom 4, Paul Gallegos did not show up for the Jason Warren hearing. DDA Zach Curtis, who covers that Courtroom for the hearing was representing the People today.

At the last hearing, Glenn Brown who is representing Warren, along with Kevin Robinson, had requested an emergency motion prohibiting destruction of evidence. This was because there was a small sample of DNA to be tested, and they did not want that sample destroyed and so requested that it not be tested unless a defense expert was there to observe the testing. Paul gave his word, did not feel a court order was necessary. Judge Reinholtsen granted the defense motion.

Mr. Robinson in court today said that after he received funding for the defense expert and that defense expert contacted the DOJ, he was informed that testing had already been conducted....

Mr. Robinson said that he was not sure what occurred and why the process and court order was not followed but if evidence was destroyed in violation of a court order, he would have to file appropriate paperwork.

Mr. Curtis said, "That there is nothing left to test is news to me." He added that Mr. Gallegos had told him he was trying to coordinate testing with the defense expert.
__________________
Can you believe it?

IT'S OVER.

◼ Elections are over; it is time to come together and support the winners for the good of the community - John Chiv/Words Worth

...It hurts to have someone you support lose; it feels great to have your candidate win. I have experienced both emotions.... Virginia, Ryan, Maggie want the best for this community. They won these elections and it is time now, for the supporters, the community, to stop the sniping on the blogs and take a cue from all candidates and wish the winners well.
__________________
Chiv is right.

Where's Waldo?

◼ Eddie Lee and Limmie Greg Curry cases to be tried separately; Robinson filed opposition by People to join cases - John Chiv/Words Worth

District Attorney Paul Gallegos who is prosecuting the case was MIA in court today.
__________________
He's also missing from the Ferrer case.

When Richard Salzman is telling you who to vote for - REMEMBER -
THIS IS WHAT RICHARD SUPPORTS.

THIS IS WHAT KEN MILLER SUPPORTS.
THIS LACKADAISICAL BULLSHIT IS WHAT THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT CHRIS KERRIGAN SUPPORT. SUPPORT. PROMOTE AND GLORIFY.

A man who can't even show up for a murder case.

When he's pulling down ◼ $154,799.84/$165,811.73 a year.

When you go to the polls tomorrow - remember this.

Paul's not on the ballot, but in a way - he is - is this the kind of behavior, is this the kind of elected official that YOU want?

Good riddance to Paul Gallegos

I can finally relax. Paul Gallegos is finally stepping down at the end of his term. After years of wasted time and countless taxpayer money spent in a futile effort to prosecute Pacific Lumber for fraud, after countless botched criminal trials in which he turned up late and unprepared for court, after giving Cruz waivers to convicted felons, the list goes on and on, he's finally throwing in the towel. Thank you, Paul Gallegos. The entire county owes you their gratitude.

◼ Good riddance to Paul Gallegos - Susan Dodd, Letter to the Editor/Times-Standard

CHP to DA: Jogger’s Death Was Murder

◼ CHP to DA: Jogger’s Death Was Murder - Heidi Walters/The Journal

The California Highway Patrol says Jason Anthony Warren murdered Suzie Seemann, the university professor who died when a Kia allegedly driven by Warren ran into her and two friends on the morning of Sept. 27 as they went for their morning jog on Old Arcata Road. Her friends, Jessica Hunt and Terri Vroman-Little, suffered major injuries, and Hunt’s dog, Maggie, also was killed....

In November, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department asked the DA to file homicide and auto theft charges against Warren for a separate incident — the killing of Hoopa resident Dorothy Ulrich — earlier on the same morning the joggers were hit.

◼ CHP requesting murder, attempted murder, animal cruelty charges in hit-and-run deaths - From the CHP via Times Standard

The following is an update regarding the death of Suzanne Seeman and the serious injuries sustained by Jessica Hunt and Terri Vromen-Little, on September 27, 2012, while the three were jogging on Old Arcata Road, with the Hunt's dog, “Maggie”.

The Humboldt Area CHP has submitted a request to the Humboldt County District Attorney, for charges against Jason Anthony Warren, age 28, of Hoopa, California. Charges sought are, one count of 187 (a) PC (Murder), two counts of 664/187 (a) Attempted Murder, one count of 597 (a) PC Animal Cruelty, three counts of 245 (a) (1) PC, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and one count of 10851 (a) VC, Vehicle Theft.

No further informational releases will be made through this office, pending adjudication of this case.

◼ CHP Recommends Murder Charge In Seeman Death - Arcata Eye

...Based upon their investigation, Sheriff’s detectives believe Ulrich was killed during the early morning hours of September 27, 2012. A silver Kia Spectra was stolen from Hoopa shortly after Ulrich’s death. Subsequently, the Silver Kia Spectra was recovered by the Eureka Police Department in the City of Eureka on Sept. 27, 2012.

Jason Warren is currently in custody at San Quentin State Prison on an unrelated charge.
_______________

What will Paul do?

BTW, Comments closed.

Too little, too late

◼ District attorney's office opposing Cruz waivers following hit-and-run, homicide case; Experts: Move could harm ability to get pleas - Grant Scott-Goforth/The Times-Standard

District Attorney Paul Gallegos has asked his prosecutors to oppose all Cruz waivers after a man released on one in August became a person of interest in an Old Arcata Road hit-and-run and a Hoopa homicide in September.

Legal experts said the move could harm the office's ability to secure plea deals and limit the option for people in custody who have legitimate reasons to request one.

A Cruz waiver is part of a plea deal, usually requested by a defendant in custody or a defense attorney, that releases the defendant prior to sentencing. A prosecutor can oppose the waiver, but the decision to release a defendant is ultimately up to a judge.

Jason Anthony Warren, 28, was arrested on a warrant related to his failure to appear for sentencing hours after the Sept. 27 hit-and-run that killed Humboldt State University geography instructor Suzanne Seemann -- the mother of two young children and wife of Humboldt County official Hank Seemann. She died at the scene. Her running partners, Eureka residents Jessica Hunt, 41, and Terri Vroman-Little, 50, were severely injured.

An investigation into the hit-and-run led to the discovery of 47-year-old Dorothy Ulrich's body in her Hoopa home.

Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Timothy Cissna released Warren from custody in late August on a Cruz waiver, part of a plea agreement that had him facing six years in prison with the stipulation that an assault change would be dropped if he showed up for his Sept. 7...

”It was the right decision for that time,” Gallegos told the Times-Standard last month. “With the benefit of hindsight, I wish to God we had opposed it, and I wish the judge hadn't released him.”

Someone who DOES get it:

◼ Sleep Tight - Joel Mielke/The Journal

I step out for a few days...

◼ Gallegos experiences cache-flow problems

Here’s an example.
Paul Gallegos told Thadeus Greenson:
After law school, Gallegos said, he spent some time as a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles before venturing out to start a private practice.

At the time, his campaign website said this:
During his time at LaVerne, Paul met Joan, his future wife. After being admitted to the California Bar Association, Paul was hired on to, and served as a DDA in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Paul and his new wife opened their first Law Office in Los Angeles.

◼ PAUL GALLEGOS FAIL: NO LONGER LISTS DEPUTY DA - capdiamont

After not receiving a reply back from him from an email I sent to his office. I decided to check out his campaign site. It no longer lists him as Deputy DA of Los Angeles.
It used to be in bold. Now he was a clerk. Oops!

After high school, Paul attended the University of Southern California where he earned a BS in Economics. This lead to his return to his home state of Maryland; where he worked for the IBM Corporation. However, unfulfilled in his life of crunching numbers, Paul decided to return to college—he returned to Southern California to attend LaVerne College of Law.**

During his time at LaVerne, Paul clerked at the Los Angeles and San Bernadino District Attorney’s Offices. After being admitted to the California Bar Association, Paul went into private practice.

Paul’s love of nature and desire to seek ever increasingly difficult challenges would lead him to Humboldt County as a circuit defense attorney. During his first days here, Paul was taken aback by the natural beauty of the area. This admiration for the majesty of Humboldt County, would lead to the Gallegos family moving to Eureka.

Why did it take the Mirror to point this out?

◼ For a good time call 1-213-202-7777 - the Mirror

Uh, yeah. That would be the phone number for the nice Human Resources people at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Why would we list that? So you can call and confirm for yourselves that DA Paul Gallegos lied about his previous work experience to the Times-Standard’s Thadeus Greenson.

In a May 22 article Greenson wrote:
After law school, Gallegos said, he spent some time as a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles before venturing out to start a private practice.

We called the DA’s Office half a dozen times, spoke to four different people, provided both Gags’ name and bar number, and in each case was told that no one with either that name or number had ever been employed in any capacity by the L.A. County DA’s Office.

**

You know - there's more. I am going to have to look back, but there is more. Gimme a day or two.

***

From a comment on cap's:

When you want information about the Gallegos campaign, you should contact the campaign (unless you really only want to hear stuff that validates your already preconceived notions).

Paul Gallegos has never claimed to have worked as a prosecutor for the Los Angeles DA’s office. In his interview with Thad Greenson (5/22) Paul states, “…when he began clerking in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, got out of the classroom and got a taste of the courtroom.” Paul has never claimed to have been anything other than a law clerk for the LA DA’s office.

I take full responsibility for the website and I made a mistake. When I became aware of the inaccuracy, I fixed it. End of story.

Comment by Natalynne Wednesday 16 Jun 2010 @ 03:50

***

**1. Gallegos got his law degree from a school not accredited by the American Bar Association, one whose graduates were not allowed to practice law in other states, even if they passed their bar exams. He did, however, pass California’s Bar. (His school has, after 36 years, been “provisionally accredited” as of 2006.)... Many students at California’s accredited law schools feel that if they flunk out, they would rather give up on Law than go to an unaccredited school.

(More from Jim Fahey's article in the Arcata Eye way back in 2006:) Gallegos has answers for everything. I’ve never met anyone whose answers came so quickly, with such polish - except about his law school(s). He likely sounded the same way when promising to get prosecutors off their anachronistic “at will” status and onto civil service status. It never happened. Indeed, he told them, “Disloyalty will not be tolerated” – a real morale builder.

He sounds great. What progressive doesn’t want to believe in him? But it’s a myth. He’s an intellectual lightweight and self-aggrandizer who tries to please everybody with glib answers.