comfortably numb

This is about a subject which will affect none of you and likely not interest you as well.
It is about our District Attorney.
Rod was elected 4 years ago unopposed---the hand picked successor to a very popular DA. He immediately adopted a take no prisoners attitude towards defendants. Plea deals went out the window and as a result the criminal calendar backed up to the point that cases were having to be dismissed because they could not be tried in a constitutionally correct period of time. But Rod had a solution---close the family Law courts so he could try his perps. When that failed he targeted the judge who lawfully dismissed some of his cases and papered him to the extent that all cases were being diverted from this particular judge's courtroom.

For the last four years we have read accounts of some of his prosecutions which would be funny if thy did not paint such a gloomy picture of his administrative style. His office has prosecuted among others:
A man who threw a rock at guy in a tractor who was plowing his land illegally.
A man who took a couple of cactus cuttings from a guy's plants.
A man who allegedly took $15 worth of gummy worms from a kid---even though the kid told them he wasn't the guy, it was one of 2 punks who were with him.
A man who trapped in cages escaped domesticated rabbits who were chewing up the neighborhood---he released them in to a river bottom area and was charged with cruelty.
Twice he has gone after a prisoner who likes to pleasure himself in his cell.

Currently he is prosecuting man for murder who has confessed to it in jail interviews while serving four life terms in one state and been sentenced to death in another state. And since he has insisted on prosecuting him, the defendant won the right to defend himself in court which means he now cannot plead guilty and instead will spend the next couple years planning his defense. We have been assured that if the one state calls and says it is time for his appointment the trial will stop and the man will be sent to his just reward.

Judge Paul, a sitting Superior Court Judge who is a former Deputy DA and was Rod's supervisor, was so upset at how the DA's office is now being run that he has taken leave of his job to oppose Rod in this year's election. So far there have been three scheduled candidate forums and Rod has refused to appear at any of them. He did send his campaign manager who dismisses Paul as "a gadfly".

When you have that little respect for a former Deputy DA and Judge, you do not deserve re-election.
When you have that little respect for the voters to refuse to make an appearance you do not deserve re-election.

When you have a campaign chest in excess of $250,000 you will win.