League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Butte County, CA June 8, 2010 Election
	Lance Daniel Answers Questions Candidate for District Attorney; County of Butte

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Butte County and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. Why do you wish to serve as District Attorney for Butte County?

I always felt that if I had the chance to become a district attorney I would take it. As a private lawyer I can only help the few. But as a district attorney I can help many.

It is also the right time in my personal and professional life to serve in that capacity.

During the course of this campaign, I've met many wonderful and sincere people in Butte County. And I have come to very much appreciate the community, and enjoy its many amenities and outdoor activities.

I look forward to making my home in Butte County serving its people.

2. What qualifications do you bring to the job?

I've been a practicing trial lawyer for over twenty (20) years, starting my career with the Sacramento District Attorney's Office where I was a deputy district attorney. Later, I built my own successful private practice with a lot of determination, a borrowed desk, and Eight Hundred (800.00) dollars.

With my college degree in business administration and nearly two decades of business experience within a successful law practice, I clearly understand, on a practical level, what it's like to run an office including accounting, budgeting, allocation of resources, and management.

I estimate that over the years I handled approximately twelve thousand (12,000)cases. While the majority are criminal cases, they include many hundreds of civil and administrative cases as well.

I've represented clients in court rooms throughout the state. Through my experiences with different counties court systems and district attorney's offices, I've seen what works well and what could be improved. Therefore, my legal knowledge and experiences are both broad and extensive.

I've tried criminal cases from simple infractions to multiple count felonies. I've worked with hundreds of expert witnesses, investigators, lawyers, judges, jury consultants, sentencing experts, and thousands of clients from all walks of life.

I possess excellent people and organizational skills, am balanced, even-tempered, and a good mediator when called upon to settle a dispute.

Additionally, I'm a three time award winning member the prestigious American Inns of Court, have taught legal ethics in a paralegal college and have been a judge pro-tem.

To add an additional perspective, the following is a quote from a nationally famous jury consultant with whom I worked closely on a high profile multiple count felony case:

"I have been a jury consultant for twenty (20) years for both the prosecution and the defense. Some cases for which my office was retained by the prosecution as their jury consultant are: Scott Peterson, Martha Stewart, Michael Jackson, O.J. Simpson (Las Vegas), and Phil Spector.

"Lance Daniel's voir dire of prospective jurors was among the finest I've ever seen. It was a privilege to watch him during trial!

"As someone who grew up in Chico (Paulette Shonley, CHS, '65 and CSUC, '69), I think the citizens of Butte County would be fortunate to elect Lance Daniel as District Attorney."

3. What do you see as the biggest criminal justice issues in Butte County and how would you address them?

There are many problems which will need to be addressed. Here are only a few:

PROBLEM: Tax-payer money continues to be wasted on frivolous prosecutions.

Examples are many but include: Operation Collateral Damage, a.k.a. the auto body shop sting arrests (not one conviction); the continuing seven (7) year long prosecution of a man because garbage was removed from a ditch; a certified organic farmer who was drying peach and prune pits on his property (dismissed) and the prosecution of a local manufacturing company for what turned out to be non-existent violations (dismissed).

SOLUTION: Careful filing of cases after a complete investigation of facts, a determination there is sufficient admissible evidence, and a determination that it is the right thing to do for the citizens of Butte County.

PROBLEM: Unacceptably low conviction rate compared with other counties. (Attorney General, Dept. of Justice, see http://ag.ca.gov/crime.php)

SOLUTION: Good investigation coupled with the filing of appropriate charges. Proper preparation of witnesses and evidence.

PROBLEM: Prosecutions of businesses and farmers for profit which can not only cost jobs but lead to lessening of vital services.

SOLUTION: Gain compliance by giving businesses and farmers a reasonable opportunity to correct potential violations before issuing them costly citations. Only after a business or farmer chooses not to fully comply may charges be filed.

PROBLEM: A court system that is clogged and over-burdened with cases that should have been resolved at much earlier stages.

SOLUTION: Give experienced deputy district attorneys the authority to make fair settlement offers at early stages. Create a consistent and fair guideline for punishments in "garden variety" cases by working with judges, deputy district attorneys, probation officers, and defense counsel.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: May 4, 2010 09:32
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