D.A. race headed to bitter end

The outcome of the June 8 District Attorney race between Stephan
Passalacqua and second-time challenger Jill Ravitch will likely be
decided by voters’ belief in one set of accusations over the
other.
Like a jury at trial, the election winner will be decided by
which version of the truth wins the most votes.
Challenger Ravitch has mounted almost a “one-note” campaign
alleging a “loss of confidence” by the majority of the law
enforcement community in Passalacqua’s leadership and
performance.
Passalacqua has called Ravitch a “quitter” who left the D.A.
office in a huff eight years ago. He said she lacks the “skill
set” to be a good manager of the office with 125-staff and a $22
million budget.
Ravitch’s argument has been buoyed by the endorsement of Sheriff
Bill Cogbill, the Deputy Sheriff’s Association and the Santa Rosa,
Petaluma, Healdsburg and Cotati police officers associations, among
others.
Cogbill says Ravitch is a better trial lawyer with more
courtroom experience who will bring more consistent prosecuting
standards to the office.
Passalacqua’s criticism of Ravitch’s lack of management skills
has been supported by retired assistant District Attorneys Larry
Scoufos and Greg Jacobs, among others. “It’s one thing to win a
conviction in court, but it’s quite another to lead a whole staff
and work well in the community,” said Jacobs.
Both candidates have been accused of “behaving badly” in a
series of bitter debates and negative campaign mailers. Each has
openly called the other a “liar.”
Unlike a jury trial, the voters will not have the advantage of
examining hard evidence or original documents. Whether Ravitch quit
the Passalacqua-led D.A. office in 2002 with “just cause” or not
remains unanswered. After supporting Passalacqua against incumbent
Mike Mullins, she abruptly parted ways over what she calls a
“complete disconnect” inside his new regime.
Passalacqua claims Ravitch left because she failed to be a team
player under new performance and discipline guidelines.
At best, the evidence and testimony provided by the two
campaigns remains in conflict. Ravitch has served as a deputy D.A.
in Mendocino County for the past three years.
Ravitch is very critical of the current D.A. office’s conviction
rate on major felony cases. She says the rate is only 72 percent
and among the lowest in California. Passalacqua reads the same
Department of Justice statistics differently, claiming an 88
percent conviction rate.
Both answers seem to be correct, depending on how pre-court
settlements, plea bargains and other guilty verdicts are counted in
the same DOJ report. (One lawyer called the DOJ formula
“bedeviling.”)
In any case, Ravitch says “prosecution is the priority. Other
community groups can get involved in prevention programs but only
the D.A. can prosecute.”
Ravitch has pledged to put more of her deputies and assistants
in the courtrooms, investigating and prosecuting, rather than
engaged in such community outreach as bicycle safety rodeos, elder
abuse seminars and victim rights support, while adding all have
their place.
Passalacqua cites a perfect record of 13 murder convictions over
his eight years in office and shares the credit with his staff that
he characterizes as “very talented” and “diverse.”
“In my opinion the office has never performed better than right
now,” said Jacobs, who served for 35 years in the office under
D.A.s Gene Tunney, Mike Mullins and Passalacqua. “There is a very,
very good staff there.”
Ravitch disagrees, in part, citing mass turnovers, defections
and very poor morale. Jacobs said most of the office’s turnover is
attributed to retirements and career advancements.
“If things aren’t going the way they should,” Ravitch charges,
“then it’s time for a new captain. Leadership requires respect. I
believe in justice and I have a high ethical standard. I believe in
accountability and it must start from the top down.”
Ravitch, 51, is a Sebastopol resident and has been a prosecutor
for 18 years, joining the Sonoma County D.A. office in 1989. She
has won 12 murder cases and has been recognized as a top
prosecutor. After supporting Passalacqua against incumbent Mullins
in 2002, she was a late entry in the 2006 race to unseat him. Her
bid fell short by 1,700 votes in a close race that surprised many
observers.
This time Ravitch says she’s opposing Passalacqua for all the
same reasons as before. But this time she filed earlier and has
mounted a better-funded and broader-based campaign that includes
the support of two county supervisors (Efren Carrillo and Shirley
Zane), many other elected officials and a long list of defense
attorneys.
Passalacqua, 47, is a native of Healdsburg and joined the D.A.
office in 1989 under Tunney. During his eight years he is credited
with expanding victims rights, family justice and youth diversion
programs at his office.
“I believe it is important to push forward as a full community
member,” he says. “With elder safety, gang prevention, victims
rights and diversion programs, which ones of these does my opponent
think we should stop doing? I believe in being proactive but
prosecuting crime — especially violent crime — is always the top
priority.”
Passalacqua says his “independence” has cost him some
endorsements from law officers and some defense attorneys. “I admit
I’ve made some tough decisions that haven’t been popular.”
His challenger calls it differently. “I was encouraged by many
people to run again this time. There is a widespread acknowledged
lack of leadership in that office and I can bring the change that’s
needed.”