I am running for District Attorney to build a tradition of fairness and  integrity.  I have lived in Nevada and Reno since 1971.  I want to protect my community from crime and, in these tough economic times, from wasted tax money.

As a former juvenile probation supervisor, a police officer for Reno and Sparks, and an 18 year prosecutor with over 100 jury trials, I want to move forward in the fight against crime, and to make Washoe County a better community for all its citizens.

Regardless of who you are, or where you come from, everyone deserves a criminal justice system that delivers justice and is based on fairness.

In the past, I have developed innovative crime solutions, that have dramatically increased DUI convictions in Washoe County.

This is of vital importance to the community, as the victims of this crime are almost always innocent citizens. I created the program and was the first deputy district attorney to attend actual scenes of felony DUI wrecks immediately after they occurred, and I created the protocol for the investigation and prosecution of those crimes. The program I initiated led to vast monetary savings, as the majority of those offenders were forced to plead guilty due to the quality of the preparation. This valuable system should be restored, and I would do so.

I want to expand on new ideas, such as community based prosecutions by working directly with police, that recognize the problems that different neighborhoods face. Working with the school system to prevent truancy and address juvenile drug use will be paramount, for our children are the future, and their welfare will be a paramount priority in my office.

The current system of sex crimes investigation (SART/CARES) must be updated and modernized.  The “closed” system must be opened to outside peer review to assure quality control.  The alarm was sounded in 2001 about the problems in the program by deceased Detective Rene Botello, and in the more recent past we have seen numerous people jailed based on faulty medical findings by the current program.  Interview techniques must be modernized with the recent developments in the law and science.

Cooperation and partnership with local police agencies must be strengthened.  I am uniquely qualified in this regard due to my extensive law enforcement and prosecution background, and the many great relationships I enjoy with law enforcement officers and supervisors.

“Deadbeat Dads” must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, no matter who they may be, or who they may be related to.  It is a felony to be more than $10,000 in arrears on child support.  The cost to the children and to society is astronomical.

I have a strong background in civil litigation, with motion and jury trial successes in that field.  I am very aware of the benefits of resolving cases early, through mediation and settlement, as a way of saving the taxpayers litigation costs and large awards against the County as a whole.  It is imperative that the taxpayers rights be respected as litigants and as citizens.

I would be honored to be your next District Attorney, and I hope I can earn your support.