A Local Choice for Positive Change

By Paul Phillips

I have been a criminal lawyer in San Luis Obispo County for nearly 32 years. There have been three different District Attorneys in that time. Never has the office been in the condition that it finds itself now. The district attorney's office needs new leadership, with a fresh approach, to deal with the challenges that face our community and our law enforcement.

I have been married for 34 years. We have five children and two grandchildren. I am a fifth generation resident of San Luis Obispo County. Both of my sons are active duty military. My son-in-law is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

I taught at Cal Poly in the College of Business between the years 1982 - 2010. I have served on the board of directors of local non-profits. I have handled every type of case that the district attorney's office prosecutes, many times over.

We need to be creative in our approach to the prosecution and punishment of crime. We no longer have the financial resources, nor the prisons, to continue "business as usual."

The District Attorney's mission statement is "...to bring justice and safety to our community by aggressively and fairly prosecuting crime and protecting the rights of crime victims."

We can only achieve this mission fully if we take into consideration the new rules and work together to create viable options.

No plea bargaining, or less plea bargaining, is not an option. It is too costly for all concerned. We have plenty of laws in place to charge the correct crimes to put those who commit crimes right where they belong. In the community with treatment, in the County Jail, in County Jail Prison, or in Prison Prison. Incarceration needs to be followed by treatment. Without treatment our community is not being made as safe as it can be. Education programs reduce recidivism. Eligibility criteria for these alternative programs need to be changed to reflect the new requirements that the laws have imposed and to make sure that with evidence based practices our community gets the best results for its investment - safety and justice.

A local choice for a positive change. Fill it in, write it in, Paul Phillips, District Attorney.