The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles County, an Inter-League Organization (ILO). and asked of all candidates for this office.

See below for questions on Priorities, Improvement in Effectiveness

Click on a name for other candidate information.   See also more information about this contest.

Answer from Steve Cooley:

As your District Attorney, I established the Public Integrity Division to prosecute crimes committed by corrupt politicians and government officials. I am proud of my efforts in the area of public corruption and will continue the fight to protect the public against crimes perpetrated by elected officials.

Answer from Anthony G. "Tony" Patchett:

WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS?

GANG VIOLENCE

Since 1990 there have been 15,000 gang related murders. 5,000 are still unsolved. The Los Angeles Times, Daily News, Los Angeles Sentinel and other newspapers have described the carnage that has occurred. The war on terror should also be fought in our own backyard.

As the chief law enforcement officer of Los Angeles County I would head a countywide Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums (CRASH) Task Force. I want to decrease drive by shootings and decrease the continual murder of innocent members of our society by street hoodlums.

I want to work on gang violence through religious entities of any faith. It is only when the District Attorney's Office works from within the framework of churches can gang violence be overcome .Churches know the families of the victims and the suspects of crime.

Unless you live in a gang infested neighborhood or have prosecuted the shooting of an innocent victim of our county by a gang member do you know the fear experienced by those who live in that society?

I intend to re-establish the District Attorney's Youth Advisory Council

I DRUG ABUSE

I support the use of drug courts, the state drug courts averted 425,014 jail days for a savings of 26.4 million dollars and 227,894 prison days for a saving of $ 16 million dollars. The drug courts also contributed $ 1 million in fines and fees to the state coffers according to a 2002 study by the State Judicial Council and Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. Arrest rates for Drug Court graduates dropped 85% in the 2 years following their admission to a Drug Court Program. Compare that with the 65% return rate of prisoners released from institutions who return with another felony conviction. I support 2 year programs such as New Directions at the Veterans Center in Westwood that change the lives of homeless veterans with drug addictions. The California Department of Corrections has a budget of $ 5.6 billion dollars and has 161,714 prisoners in its facilities at a cost of almost $30,000.00 per inmate. 29% are white: 30% African-American: 36% are Hispanic Many of its population were sentenced on drug related offenses. The average sentence is 41.4 months The average time served is 26.5 months. Wouldn't it save the taxpayer's money if more cases were referred to Drug Courts?

HATE CRIMES

How should the District Attorney respond to hate-motivated crime?

A good example is the beating that occurred in West Hollywood to Trev Broudy and Edward Ulett on September 1, 2002. This was a perfect example of a Hate Crime or attempt first degree murder in addition to the charges filed against the defendants. It was the symbol of justice that was at stake in the criminal filing of charges. Section 664 of the Penal code, attempt first degree murder, could have provided for a 15 year to life sentence. Section 422.75(c) of the Penal Code provides for a 4 year enhancement for acting in concert in a Hate Crime. As sentenced, the defendants will be back on the streets in about 10 years. What is Trev Broudy's condition going to be in 10 years? Los Angeles County lags behind Riverside and San Bernardino County in the number of Hate Crime cases filed. According to the West Hollywood Sheriff's website, West Hollywood has become a target for hate crimes in Southern California. The District Attorney should have the same philosophy as Sheriff Baca and treat Hate Crimes with top priority.

PUBLIC CORRUPTION SPECIAL INTERESTS

Why didn't the District Attorney use his Bureau of Investigation, the 4th largest police force in Los Angeles County with 270 peace officer investigators, to investigate Enron, Quackenbush, Firestone Tire, Global Crossings and Newhall Land & Farming?

The District Attorney should also prosecute corporate criminals, not just little people. Charles Keating was the last high profile corporate officer prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. That occurred over 13 years ago.His conviction was reversed.

I will use the resources of the District Attorney's Office to prosecute corruption cases against the special interests that control this county

I will ask Donald Mullinex, Inspector General of the Los Angeles Unified School District to actively assist in the prosecution of LAUSD corruption cases.

ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES/WORKER SAFETY

I respect the valid public concerns regarding entrenched special interests whose undue influence closed the Environmental Crimes/OSHA Division I intend to re-establish the Environmental Crimes/OSHA Division as a separate division in the District Attorney's Office Environmental Crimes and Worker Safety cases will no longer be ignored. Why did the district attorney's office fail to recognize criminal conduct in the development of the $ 175 million dollar Belmont Learning Complex? Why isn't the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office a member of the Southern California Environmental Crimes Task Force? I want to foster conservation issues and make our community safe, healthy and sustainable. If we don't prosecute environmental polluters and protect our environment, there will be no safe environment for future generations.

WELFARE FRAUD

How many of us have gone to a supermarket and watched someone dressed in expensive attire paying for groceries with food stamps with a luxury car in the parking lot? The District Attorney should establish a Hot Line for citizens to report such welfare abuse. The District Attorney should have its 4th largest County police force staking out Department of Public Social Services office parking lots for welfare recipients driving away in luxury cars

CONSUMER FRAUD

I want to model the District Attorney's Consumer Fraud division after Eliot Spitzer, New York Attorney General. Mr. Spitzer has shown the nation how to prosecute corporate criminals Why isn't the insurance industry investigated for canceling a policyholder's homeowner's insurance who receives payment on a valid claim? Most claimants are forced to obtain insurance under the California Fair Plan at a higher premium. This is an unfair business practice. Why isn't the District Attorney's Office doing anything about the unfair competition by Ralph's Markets sharing their profits with the other chains while union workers are in the 18th week of a strike?

MEDIA PIRACY

With the advent of sophisticated duplicating equipment and camcorders, media piracy has accounted for billions of dollars of theft from legitimate businesses in the entertainment industry. The dollar loss of these crimes is expected to increase in the future. Vigorous prosecution with better lines of communication must exist between the entertainment industry and the District Attorney's Office in order to combat this tremendous loss

Answer from Roger Carrick:

Create a culture of excellence focused on the needs of the people, not the bureaucrats. (1) Aggressive prosecution of gangs and gun-related gang violence. (2) Focus on family-oriented prosecution of juveniles to reduce juvenile crime, especially gang-related crimes. (3) Restore prosecution of public health and environmental violations. For more information regarding Mr. Carrick's priority for the District Attorney's Office please visit http://www.carrickforda.org

Answer from Denise Beryl Moehlman:

My priorities are:

1. Protecting the community from dangerous criminals.
2. Reducing sexual assaults and domestic violence.
3. Attacking theft, fraud, corruption, and environmental crimes.
4. Stop the costly "revolving prison door" from swinging by requiring drug rehabilitation for drug users and mental health treatment for those in need.
5. Reinstate preventitive and rehabilitative programs for juveniles.
6. Reduce crimes by and against police officers: restore trust between the community and law enforcement.

Answer from Nick Pacheco:

The District Attorney should be leading the charge in making everyone feel safer in their neighborhood. Ask yourself, do I feel safer today in my neighborhood than I did four years ago? The District Attorney should be A.) proactive in reducing gun violence and gang prolification, B.) protecting the environment, and C.) working with the community to reduce youth violence and crime.

Answer from Denise Beryl Moehlman:

My key objective is to restore greater integrity and competence to the criminal justice system. The community frustration, a long history of people getting away with murder and other crimes must end. More resources need to be committed to prosecuting gang violence, fraud, environmental crimes and other dangers, and less money should be spent running up statistics. Effective witness protection programs are needed: the use of DNA and other scientific testing must be expanded. To obtain greater truth in prosecution, legislation should be sought requiring law enforcement to tape record contact with civilians. The DA's Office must reopen specialized divisions such as Environmental Crimes and the Hate Crimes Division.

Answer from Roger Carrick:

Restore the Domestic Violence, Environmental Crimes and Worker Safety, and Crime Prevention units. Increase the numbers of Deputy DA's working on hard core gang prosecutions and create a special unit to focus on gun violation prosecutions.For information regarding Mr. Carrick's plan to improve the effectiveness of the District Attorney's Office please visit http://www.carrickforda.org

Answer from Steve Cooley:

As District Attorney, I initiated the most sweeping reorganization of the District Attorney's Office in 40 years, creating more efficiency and one of the highest criminal conviction rates ever. Here's what the newspapers are saying:

"New District Attorney Steve Cooley has been in office barely two months but already he has made some aggressive changes to his predecessor's policies that deserve to be described as bold and enlightened. Cooley has shown that he is not bound by political or doctrinaire constraints. His decisions have been centrist and pragmatic. It is refreshing change in the DA's office, one that is welcome and long overdue."

Pasadena Star-News February 11, 2001

Answer from Nick Pacheco:

The District Attorney's office should be completed audited and its books reviewed for waste. Computers and modern best practices should be implemented throughout the District Attorney's office.

Answer from Anthony G. "Tony" Patchett:

In times of a shrinking budget, the office must be rebalanced. The conviction rates in Branch and Area and Central Operations over the years have dropped due to the fact that the District Attorney has stripped the branches and Central of many of their most experienced and talented trial lawyers. These attorneys have been transferred to Special Operations, most of them to units where they have no prospects of ever handling felony jury trials. The District Attorney has been relying too heavily on grant funding. The District Attorney's Office has been tapping into that grant money without regard to what might happen in the future when the money doesn't flow so freely. The District Attorney needs to go to each unit, division or branch and find out exactly what they are doing and what their special needs and expectations are. Directors and Head Deputies should have the skill and training to make good decisions. The Environmental Crimes/OSHA section must be reestablished as a separate division and be permitted to actively prosecute criminal cases. Health & Safety Code Section 25192 provides for 25% of any fine imposed for environmental prosecution to be paid to the District Attorney's Office. In the `80's and mid `90's the fines amounted to a substantial amount of money. The last well known corporate criminal prosecution occurred 13 years ago. Corporate criminals need to be treated equally in the criminal justice system. Domestic Violence Courts should be established to stop the cycle of domestic violence. Cases should not be handed off from one prosecutor to another. Most cases are disposed of without a trial, yet little training has been done in this area. Developing our lawyers to be effective negotiators should be a priority. Our deputies should be encouraged to work effectively with judges, lawyers, and the public (which really pays the bill for our services). The District Attorney's Office is really a part of the community, not part of an occupation army.

The order of the candidates is random and changes daily.