By B & D Lindeman
As if 12 yrs. of Reisig in the D.A.’s office isn’t enough of a reason for a change in leadership (hasn’t anyone ever heard of the good idea of term limits?). But it’s his latest campaign flyer that I received in the mail (4th one!) that compels me to write. Instead of promoting the supposed merits of the Reisig reign, it is mostly devoted to maligning the character of the man running against him: Dean Johansson! I’d say that kind of below-the-belt tactic maligns Reisig’s character. It reminds me of the tactics of someone we all know who lives in the current White House.
Thus, if I had an overly simple rhyming campaign slogan, it might be, “Reisig is mean, so vote for Dean!” (maybe “overly aggressive” would be kinder but it doesn’t rhyme). Fact: (not fake news, folks): Jeff Reisig, our Yolo Cty. D.A., brings more cases to jury trial per capita than any other D.A. in the state! That means that Reisig’s office conducts more felony trials than counties that have a much higher population than ours. Yolo cannot be that much more crime ridden! This fact alone is a co$tly (for taxpayers) and valid reason for a change in D.A. leadership.
I am aware of a case a few yrs. ago that Reisig decided to prosecute when even the “victim” didn’t want it prosecuted! Yet the D.A. never made contact, nor talked with the “victim” at all about the situation. He just made a stereotypical assumption about the type of case and charged (no pun intended) ahead. Another “felony” win under Reisig’s belt. That is an unacceptable way of interpreting justice.
Has Reisig’s “Law and Order” program over 12 yrs. been all bad despite his style of declaring “everything’s a felony”? Of course not. Whatever is good and working will be continued. It is a shame that Reisig supporters actually seem afraid that Dean Johansson would bring more restraint and compassion to the administration of justice for NON-violent crimes. Dean’s position emphasizes implementing already proven crime PREVENTION strategies as well as rehabilitation programs to reduce recidivism. He encourages more community oversight for the D.A.’s office and police department.
The Yolo County Democratic Party & Don Saylor, among others, have given Dean Johansson their endorsement. Lastly, I find the Davis police endorsement of Reisig & huge campaign contribution ($16,000+) to be very telling. After reading the Internal Auditor’s review recently re: the Davis Picnic Day 5 case, our police, too, need to reflect more on proper handling of alleged crimes as well as their relationship with the D.A.’s office (which is where the latter gets its cases).
Wow.
I’m voting for Dean, but I read the first paragraph and stopped.
“I am aware of a case a few yrs. ago that Reisig decided to prosecute when even the “victim” didn’t want it prosecuted!”
This is very common in domestic disputes and not uncommon in other areas of the law. The state has an independant interest in prosecuting certains behaviors even if the victim has reached a settlement with the defendant. With the recent focus on “me too” the extent to which criminal behavior has been hidden through settlements is becoming more clear.
There have been continual calls for author bios running with articles. This one should be exhibit “A”.
First of all, this is a letter, so of course it’s biased. It’s not an article. It’s not pretending to be an article.
Second, the case mentioned above was not a DV case, although you are correct there are oftentimes where the victim doesn’t want those cases prosecuted either. It was a supposed gang robbery case. Basically a few people got into an argument, they started shoving each other and had a mild fight, and in the process a bicycle may have been taken. They charged the five guys with robbery and gang enhancements. The trial hung twice and was a mistrial once. One of the guys ultimately was convicted of robbery despite the objections of the “victims” and the rest were convicted of gang charges (without an underlying crime). The whole thing was a fiasco. That’s what the writer was referencing, not a DV case.
I can’t speak to the specifics of the case but gangs are another area where there is often a lack of support for prosecution. More often than not when a gang member is shot, or a bystander is shot by a gang member, there is no support for prosecution. However when there is an altercation involving gangs there is a public safety interest in prosecuting anyway.
In this case it was just trumped up charges, it was a mutual fight, maybe petty theft at most.
Here are two articles that shed light on this:
http://www.davisvanguard.org/2015/03/victim-speaks-out-against-prosecution-prison-sentence-in-gang-case/
http://www.davisvanguard.org/2015/03/my-view-gang-case-represents-one-of-worst-miscarriages-of-justice-we-have-seen-in-yolo/
Clearly the comment refers to the specific case: “I am aware of a case a few yrs. ago that Reisig decided to prosecute when even the “victim” didn’t want it prosecuted! Yet the D.A. never made contact, nor talked with the “victim” at all about the situation. He just made a stereotypical assumption about the type of case and charged (no pun intended) ahead. Another “felony” win under Reisig’s belt. That is an unacceptable way of interpreting justice.”
* The victim didn’t want it prosecuted
* Didn’t talk to the victim about the situation
* Stereotypical assumption
* Felony win
The author is clearly not making a sweeping statement about prosecuting when victims are uncooperative – there are times when that is the right thing to do. In this case, not so much.
* The victim didn’t want it prosecuted
Given your clarification that it was a gang case neither surprising nor important.
* Didn’t talk to the victim about the situation
While I suppose it’s possible that a DA went to court without ever talking to the victim it would surprise me very much. You will have to provide more evidence to convince me that no statement was ever taken.
* Stereotypical assumption
Whatever that means. Does your criticism mean that you will avoid stereotypes on the Vanguard moving forward?
* Felony win
Given your previous respect for jury verdicts I would expect you to be supportive. Is there a problem here?
BTW “Bio” not “bias”. Who scrawled this?
Don’t know her. It’s a letter, has a Davis address. Newspapers do not print bios for letter writers.
Unlike commenters who have to post with real names?
Not following you
She can post a letter essentially anonymously while people who post comments need to have a real name?
No different than Ken A or Jeff M or Howard P
Soros bots tend to not use their full name.
Glass houses Jeff
No different than Ken A or Jeff M or Howard P
Or Rellim Nala
Her too
Let’s see if I have this right…
Vote for Johansson (what the puck is up with the first name BS?… are his supporters afraid that he sounds too foreign?) if you favor more crime in Yolo County because you think Reisig is too mean to criminals.
Or vote for Johansson to signal your virtue as a good caring champion of social justice for victims groups.
The perspective for a Johansson supporter is that they don’t really care about burglary and other property crimes. Their perspective is that these are crimes of poor people that don’t have things and since it isn’t fair that they don’t have things, it is fine that they steal those things from others that do.
They also give certain minorities the same consideration. I mean these are oppressed people and disenfranchised from the privileged white culture around them… so it makes sense that these poor people would act out and make more mistakes in judgement. And so we should implement a sort of “affirmative action” application of law enforcement and criminal punishment to give them more time and more chances to connect with the moral and ethical line we expect those privileged white people to follow. Or white people will stop with their destructive judgement and just be more accepting even if it means they get more things stolen from their business and homes.
And gang membership is only a result of harm from minority oppression where families are broken apart and the young men search for male role models to replace their MIA father that is either missing from the shame of low economic prospects, in prison or dead from his days of criminal and gang involvement. Basically gang membership is a cry for help, not a cause for crime enhancements.
Johansson will be better for the criminals that are the true victims of society. And thus he will make Yolo County a better place to call home.
Do I have it right?
Easy to say Dean, harder to spell Johansson correctly? It’s like Bernie as opposed to Sanders?
I wonder if anyone thinks Howard Dean is back:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j6xm7e5bJo
Well I could write “Vote for Jeff” but then… you know.
Jeff
I could write “vote for Jeff….”
You have in essence. We have asked for specific facts or evidence, and all you have done is pronounce Jeff “near perfect”.
It’s “puck is fup”.
But yeah, I can spell “Dean”, not cuz we’re on a first name basis.
More foreign than Reisig? Which, by the way, has two meanings in German: 1) Brushwood; 2) Unutterable. Have fun with that fun fact.
Gee, thanks for dropping that fun fact AFTER the Pancakes & Politics Voter Guide was published.
Jeff M
“Do I have that right?”
No. But then you are known to care more about dramatic presentation of ideology than fact, so what else is new?