Local District Attorney Jon Alexander seems to have lost the fundamental ability to understand the difference between right and wrong. His decisions to protect animals but not the public is commendable, popular and brave, but it doesn’t lessen the danger created by dismissing or minimizing serious cases. Hence our local District Attorney has gone astray.
As I was sitting in the Del Norte County law library, conducting research one tends to overhear discussions about current cases as well as what some of the population believe that “they” might have the current Judge, D.A., Police chief in “their” pocket. When I hear that, I listen very closely.
Case in Point: A young man comes into the law library seeking assistance to get his criminal records expunged so that he may become a physical therapist. He has a criminal record a mile long with burglaries and assault. He tells me that the judge, DA Alexander and the police chief thinks he should have a second chance. To some degree I agree everyone should have a second chance, but probably not at the age of 28; and not when they have already demonstrated that they are a habitual offender. Whether or not this man was successful, I will never know. But what I do know, is a tiger’s stripes never change. If the man was successful in having his criminal record expunged, who knows what patient, elderly person or likewise will endure harm from this individual.
Here is another case. An elderly woman is beat up by a 28 year old drunken idiot. This woman goes in front of a judge to get a restraining order and was not allowed a restraining order, and the battery charges were dropped by the local District Attorney, Jon Alexander. A year later the same man, while holding his one year old infant female child in his arms, screaming at the mother and punching holes in the wall is arrested by the city police for domestic violence, holding the mother hostage, and child endangerment. Our local District Attorney, Jon Alexander drops all of these charges down to only a misdemeanor.
For someone like our DA who tends to support Harrington House and the victims of Domestic Violence it seems that he selectively chooses which cases to prosecute and which to dismiss without any rhyme or reason.
There are so many more stories out there with similar or even worse conditions that I have been asked not to disclose, due to people worrying about their safety being jeopardized. Is this what we the public want in a local district attorney? I say recall him, throw him to the streets where he belongs and never look back because I have no patience or tolerance for that type of behavior.
But a whisper in my ear indicates that in 60 days there will be a ruling from the California State Bar about the current charges against him. He ran on a campaign of equal justice for all. I say, if he’s not disbarred, who may die after the 60 days are up from his inability or reluctance to prosecute all cases equally for domestic violence, rape or abuse?
Linda Sutter
Crescent City, Ca.
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