In Washington, Pennsylvania

Wife Divorcing Ex-Washington DA Pettit; Grand Jury Probes Claims Of Sex, Case Fixes
...WTAE Channel 4's news exchange partners at the Tribune-Review cited anonymous sources in a report that the U.S. Attorney's Office is investigating (former district attorney John) Pettit for allegations of fixing cases, soliciting false testimony, taking inmates and informants to buy drugs and trading sex with female inmates for leniency....

Did Kay Rackauckas TELL THE TRUTH?

That name, Kay Rackauckas. It has a familiar ring to it.
(see post below CRITICIZING THE DA)

Why?

The lovely Kay Rackauckas weighed in on our recent election. In this letter to the Editor the "missing" wife who was "vacationing in Trinidad" (visiting Salzman? one might ask.) stated that Paul Gallegos had "devoted the lion’s share of his resources to staffing this (CAST) position" BECAUSE "Mr. Gallegos has one prosecutor assigned to this position at all times. Before Mr. Gallegos’ tenure, the previous District Attorney had two part-time deputy district attorneys assigned to it."

"Orange County," she claimed, "which has one of the finest CAST programs in the nation, also has just one deputy district attorney assigned to the CAST position — in a county of over three million people."

Just one. Kay? Really? Wow.

Then she says "Mr. Gallegos is obviously devoted to vigorous prosecution of child molestation cases, and is devoting major resources to the task. Because of his dedication and effectiveness in prosecuting child molesters, my husband and I wholeheartedly endorse him for re-election." Now there's an endorsement that should count.

The truth?

Kay Rackauckas lied thru her teeth in that letter to the editor. That office has 26 dda's that handle child abuse cases. It has 1 dda that conducts interviews.

Christine Smith, MSW, Program Manager
Child Abuse Services Team (CAST) Bld#140
1337 Braden Court, Orange, Ca 92863

There are 15 sexual assault DA's and 10 Physical abuse DA's. CAST has 1 DA assigned full time to observe every CAST Interview. CAST is primarily for sexual abuse cases; however it is occasionally used for severe physical abuse and witness to a crime.

This didn't make the paper.

Update: Related information:
[PDF] OC Grand Jury Report
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
aware that his wife, Kay Rackauckas, a deputy district attorney, ... Kay Rackauckas in turn would discuss District Attorney Office matters with the senior ...
www.ocgrandjury.org/pdfs/dainvestigation.pdf

CRITICIZING THE DA

Local bloggers had the Talking Points early on - attack the messenger. Forget about Paul, say it is just the Eureka Reporter out to get Paul. It's just Arkley using his paper to get Paul. Yeah, that's it.

I wonder what they would say about the the OCWeekly's criticism of Orange County DA Tony Rackauckas, and his wife Kay Rackauckas.

The OCWeekly factually reported on The Orange County grand jury’s 100-page "Office of the District Attorney: An In-Depth Investigation" report that " accused DA Tony Rackauckas and Don Blankenship, the head of his criminal-investigation division, of cronyism, mismanagement and misuse of public resources." DA Puts ‘Pub’ Back in Public Funds!

Or this one: Missing Wives, Lousy Lies & Mob Ties Exhaustive grand-jury investigation confirms DA corruption noting that "On June 26, the Orange County grand jury rocked the local legal establishment when it declared that Rackauckas routinely abuses his awesome prosecutorial powers to protect friends and punish perceived enemies. According to the grand jury’s fact-filled, 100-page report, "Office of the District Attorney: An in-depth investigation," the DA is Nixonian in the darkest sense of the word: paranoid, petty, partisan, secretive, retaliatory and arrogant. And though this was a civil proceding, it’s easy to conclude that the jury’s findings demand a criminal investigation."..."

Or this "Rackauckas had no experience handling consumer-fraud prosecutions, but that didn’t stop him from rescuing Newport Beach billionaire George Argyros in his struggle with the DA’s prosecutors. Without explanation, Rackauckas met privately with Argyros’ attorneys and then overruled his staff’s position that his political benefactor had personally directed the massive fraud scheme against approximately 11,000 local Vietnamese and Latino apartment tenants. The shakedown allegedly netted Argyros more than $33 million during a three-year period. The grand jury ruled that the DA had "not paid proper attention to a possible appearance of impropriety" in the matter and should not have been privately negotiating with his powerful friend."

Or this: "Initially embarrassed by the report, Rackauckas’ arrogance and claims of invincibility seem to grow each passing day. In a June 27 memo to staff, the DA was upbeat, confident and "proud of this administration’s accomplishments."

Meanwhile, there are sure to be dedicated, law-abiding local prosecutors who are biting their tongues and have yet to come forward in public about Rackauckas’ abuse of authority. We know because the grand jury also issued an ominous warning: "Of great concern to the grand jury were those deputy district attorneys and even members of the [DA’s] management team that expressed fear of retaliation should the confidentiality of their testimony be violated."

Alarms should go off when good prosecutors fear their own boss."

Gee, it sounds so familiar.

"Alarms should go off when good prosecutors fear their own boss."

A mass exodus from that office similar to the one we have here.

Should the OCWeekly NOT have reported on any of this?

JUST CURIOUS.

Update: Related information:
[PDF] OC Grand Jury Report
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
aware that his wife, Kay Rackauckas, a deputy district attorney, ... Kay Rackauckas in turn would discuss District Attorney Office matters with the senior ...
www.ocgrandjury.org/pdfs/dainvestigation.pdf

PAUL GALLEGOS' DEFENDERS

Paul Gallegos cannot run on his record. Richard Salzman's spin machine is in full gear.

First read this letter to the editor in the Eureka Reporter written by Kay Rackauckas claiming that the Orange County DA only has one prosecutor assigned to CAST, thereby justifying Gallegos' understaffing of Humboldt County's Child Abuse Services Team. This letter will also be included as the FIRST COMMENT on this post

Then read up on Kay Rackauckas and her husband "Tony" Rackauckas

Missing Wives, Lousy Lies & Mob Ties
Exhaustive grand-jury investigation confirms DA corruption

OCW - Missing Wives, Lousy Lies and Mob Ties
OCW - DAs Wife Missing

Excerpts:

"On June 26, the Orange County grand jury rocked the local legal establishment when it declared that Rackauckas routinely abuses his awesome prosecutorial powers to protect friends and punish perceived enemies. According to the grand jury’s fact-filled, 100-page report, "Office of the District Attorney: An in-depth investigation," the DA is Nixonian in the darkest sense of the word: paranoid, petty, partisan, secretive, retaliatory and arrogant. And though this was a civil proceding, it’s easy to conclude that the jury’s findings demand a criminal investigation."

Or try this one:

DA puts Pub back in Public Funds

"Outraged by last month’s grand jury report detailing corruption in the district attorney’s office, six senior criminal detectives have retired and another dozen officers are expected to follow them in coming weeks, the Weekly has learned.

The Orange County grand jury’s 100-page "Office of the District Attorney: An In-Depth Investigation" report accused DA Tony Rackauckas and Don Blankenship, the head of his criminal-investigation division, of cronyism, mismanagement and misuse of public resources.

Several prosecutors say they fear the summer fallout will cost the government agency responsible for prosecuting criminals 500 years’ worth of gumshoe experience."