To the editor:
This is an urgent request for your help to protect victims of violent crime in our community no matter what your politics.
I watched the debate between Ms. Gonzalez and Mr. Yalamachili and again am truly disappointed in Ms. Gonzalez. She did not explain the egregious errors her office has made that continue to put our community at risk. Instead she talked in generalities or blamed others in the criminal justice system. She took no responsibility for her abysmal record.
I am a passionate victim advocate. I was involved in the criminal justice system in Georgia for decades. I worked with and trained law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, defense attorneys and advocates. The Western Judicial Circuit’s District Attorney’s Office is one that requires considerable knowledge, experience and training and really should not be a politicized position.
Our current District Attorney, Deborah Gonzalez, did not and does not have the qualifications to hold this office. Because she lacks the basic knowledge of criminal law, victims of violent crime in our community have been ignored, denied justice and put at risk. Violent offenders have been released because of prosecutorial negligence and misconduct putting us all at risk. And because she does not have the knowledge and skills to prosecute a case, she cannot train her new assistant district attorneys. In all my years working in the criminal justice system across Georgia, I have never come across such a disfunctional district attorney’s office.
Let me give you just two case examples of how our District Attorney’s Office has put us all in jeopardy.
In the first case, Deborah Gonalez was charged with violating the Crime Victims Bill of Rights (Marsy’ Law) and those charges were upheld. (This law is what gives victims of violent crime certain rights that are constitutionally protected and enforced)
In this case (State vs. Michael Lareco Daniel), the defendant was charged with rape, incest and child molestation. The DA’s office was not prepared for trial, they neglected to file the proper paperwork, and when the Court insisted that the case proceed, the prosecutor dismissed the charges. Neither the victim nor her mother were involved or informed of any of these decisions made by the prosecutor. The victim’s mother subsequently filed the Marsy’s Law violation resulting in the DA’s office being removed from the case and necessitating a special prosecutor. The special prosecutor was appointed by the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia. This prosecutor had the original charges reinstated and in their investigation discovered another family victim of the same defendant. The defendant was subsequently convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
If the victim’s mother had not known about her daughter’s rights, that defendant would be free today to continue his sexual abuse.
The second case involves a violation of the Brady Rule of law. Because Ms. Gonzalez did not know how to prosecute a criminal case she hired an attorney from another jurisdiction to lead her team of prosecutors. One of the first cases this attorney took on was a rape case. During the trial it was discovered that he had not turned over exculpatory evidence to the defense. This is prosecutorial misconduct. The defense attorney immediately requested a mistrial which the judge granted and the defendant was released back into the community.
These are only two mishandled cases. Unfortunately there are many, many more.
Deborah Gonzalez’s claims that her critics are politically motivated are just not true. Any District Attorney needs to know a great deal about criminal law which is complicated and constantly changing as new case law is generated. Ms. Gonalez was an entertainment attorney which did not prepare her for this position.
Kalki Yalamanchili is running as an Indepentant for the District Attorney’s office in November because he understands that this office should not be politicized. He has the knowledge, training and experience to run a prosecutorial office. Please vote for him.
Victims of violent crime need and deserve a qualified District Attorney. We all need a functioning prosecutor’s office to keep our community safe. Releasing violent offenders due to incompetence puts us all at risk.
Nancy Hunter
Athens
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