Swirling in and around District Attorney Dolores Carr’s office
is a crisis, a crisis of confidence in her leadership. Carr has
failed too many tests in the past four years to be reelected and
there is an articulate, grounded, well informed, no-nonsense
prosecutor who is campaigning hard for her job. He should win it.
Jeff Rosen represents just what the Santa Clara County District
Attorney’s office needs
– a breath of fresh air.
Swirling in and around District Attorney Dolores Carr’s office is a crisis, a crisis of confidence in her leadership.
Carr has failed too many tests in the past four years to be reelected and there is an articulate, grounded, well informed, no-nonsense prosecutor who is campaigning hard for her job. He should win it.
Jeff Rosen represents just what the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office needs – a breath of fresh air.
The DA’s office is a virtual caldron of power, so judgment that’s above reproach is key.
There’s a short list that unfortunately indicates otherwise in Carr’s case:
n Carr’s husband, a former San Jose police lieutenant, hired on as a security consultant for a murder victim’s family while a case was being actively investigated. Carr eventually, after a firestorm of criticism, disqualified her office from the case and her husband returned most of the money, but the damage had been done.
n The decision to effectively blackball sitting Superior Court Judge Andrea Bryan by ordering all attorneys in the DA’s office to file affidavits of prejudice against the judge is at the very least a questionable use of power. At worst, it’s tossing an incendiary device into the local justice system to achieve “winning at all costs.” The affidavits disqualify the judge from hearing cases.
Rosen, a deputy district attorney who is taking a leave of absence, says he reluctantly entered the race after witnessing too many lapses in judgment and leadership.
Apparently the members of the Santa Clara County Bar Association agree. Surprisingly, they voted overwhelmingly to endorse Rosen.
Rosen draws an important philosophical distinction in the race. His candidacy is about justice, not winning at all costs. His prosecutorial experience is deep, having tried complicated murder, gang and drug cases. That experience has led him to a pragmatic point, but one that does not yield milk toast.
Rosen says he will, for example, prosecute a death penalty case given extraordinary criminal circumstances. Yet, he also understands the incredible expense associated with such cases and stresses that victims should understand that the appeals process goes on forever, so closure, if there ever is any, is elusive.
Most importantly, Rosen’s election would restore confidence in the district attorney’s office. A house cleaning at the top is necessary.
By its nature, there will always be controversy in the DA’s office. But Rosen’s open approach, his ability to reason through situations with an even-handed manner, his sense of humor and his experience will serve the residents of the county well. His strengths are exactly what’s needed.
It’s time for a change. It’s time for Jeff Rosen.
