PORT TOWNSEND — Trial costs and judicial sensitivity were among the issues addressed during a form for candidates for prosecuting attorney and District Court judge on Tuesday.
Speaking to the Port Townsend Rotary Club were general election candidates for prosecuting attorney — Deputy Prosecutor Scott Rosekrans and Paul Richmond, a Port Townsend attorney — and for District Court judge — incumbent Judge Jill Landes, who is seeking a second term, and John Wood, a Port Townsend attorney.
Ballots for the Nov. 2 general election will be mailed to voters county-wide Oct. 13.
Only three Jefferson County races are contested this year, and two are judicial.
Tuesday’s forum was informal, allowing for an opening statement and questions from the audience.
Richmond advocated having fewer trials, saying that law enforcement takes “a huge chunk” of the county’s budget, with jury trials costing a tremendous amount.
“Whenever there is a jury trial, it means that diplomacy has failed,” Richmond said.
“There are ways that the court can be more efficient in prosecuting crimes, so trials are not necessary,” Richmond added.
Rosekrans said that taking a case to trial isn’t all about winning.
“I’ve prosecuted cases that have led to acquittal and the victim has thanked me, for giving them a chance to have their say,” he said.
“Once in Texas, a woman came to me and said that if I didn’t put her daughter in jail the daughter would die.
“We didn’t put her in jail, but put her into a drug treatment program where she was able to get clean.”
Richmond said that penalties are disproportionate for younger offenders, that mischief crimes that people his age, 49, committed when they were younger are now drawing felony charges.
“I think that young people aren’t getting a fair chance in the judicial system,” Richmond said.
“I look around this room and see that I am practically the youngest one here.”
Rosekrans said that age has nothing to do with prosecuting crimes.
“It’s all about accountability and responsibility,” he said
“The prosecutor needs to make people accountable for what they have done.”
All of the candidates were latecomers to the law.
Landes worked with domestic violence victims, and Wood worked in government.
Richmond worked in media and Rosekrans became a policeman after flunking chemistry, which torpedoed his medical career.
“I went onto the police force because I thought I would kill fewer people as a policeman than I would as a doctor,” he said.
Landes called the District Court “the people’s court, because it is the court that most people see.”
She said she was seeking to free people “from the onus of a collection agency in a way they can pay their fines.”
Wood, who has not held elective office, said Landes has “developed a reputation for being rude and insensitive,” he said.
“I want to change that.”
Landes denied the insensitivity charge. She said she has been thanked for exerting “tough love” over defendants, and saving their lives by sending them to jail.
“I tell offenders that they have the key to the jail through their behavior,” she said.
“Jail is the last resort, and the judge needs to know how to use the system and be firm when necessary.
“Anyone in my courtroom is treated with respect.”
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.