Santa Barbara County District Attorney candidates Josh Lynn and Joyce Dudley faced off April 27 at what would end up being their last public debate before the June 8 election.
In a statement following the debate, both candidates agreed to cancel the remaining scheduled events out of respect for retired District Attorney Christie Stanley, who died of lung cancer on April 25.
Allan Hancock College president Jose Ortiz called for a moment of silence honoring Stanley before welcoming the public to the college and inviting moderator and KSBY reporter Danielle Lerner to initiate the debate.
The somber atmosphere, however, soon gave way to contentious rhetoric and accusations of character.
To begin, each candidate offered a two-minute introduction highlighting his or her achievements and qualifications. Dudley pointed to her decade-long run as director of the county’s Head Start program as an example of administrative leadership. The senior deputy district attorney said she eventually left the position for law school because she “became frustrated about reports of child abuse falling on deaf ears.”
Chief trial deputy Lynn cited his four-month stint as acting district attorney as a true indication of his abilities. Stanley, who retired in January, asked Lynn to fill in for her as the county’s top legal official because of her worsening health.
“I’m the only one standing up here who knows exactly what it takes to do this job,” Lynn said, adding, “and I’m the only one running who has a flawless ethical record in court and out.”
Lynn said Dudley’s trial record is littered with misconduct and ethics issues. He referred specifically to a case Dudley prosecuted in 1995, People V. Amado Inda, alleging his opponent committed prosecutorial misconduct that allowed a child molester to be released from custody.
For her part, Dudley said the charges of misconduct were the misguided accusations of “an eccentric judge with a vendetta against” her. Dudley urged members of the public to check her record with the California Bar Association as proof of her ethical conduct.
Not long after, Dudley similarly questioned her opponent’s character. While serving as acting district attorney, she alleged, Lynn created an $850,000 deficit for the department by offering golden parachutes to retiring senior deputy attorneys through the county’s employee retirement program.
“That [program] is offered by the Board of Supervisors,” Lynn said. “It has nothing to do with the District Attorney’s office.”
Both candidates told the audience they have documents to back up their claims. And Lynn’s campaign has gone as far as to create a website dedicated to these documents, joycedudleyfacts.com.
When not throwing jabs at each other, the candidates answered questions about subjects such as gang activity, the budget, and the proposal for a North County jail.
Dudley and Lynn agreed on one thing: the District Attorney’s No. 1 priority is preserving the safety of county residents against crime and violence. However, they disagreed over the tools and leadership methods needed to reach that goal.
Dudley said she’s a strong supporter of restorative justice as a means of crime prevention.
“Not only does it restore the victim, it restores the criminal and the justice system,” he said. “By making the criminal feel better about himself, and helping him better his life, we restore the justice system.”
Lynn, on the other hand, said he’s “a fan of restorative justice in a limited capacity … but it will never solve all of our problems.”
He went on to say that his extensive experience prosecuting gang cases makes him the clear frontrunner for cracking down on gang-related and other violent crimes.
Dudley rebutted by stating that she, too, has an extensive record in prosecuting gang-related and violent crimes. If elected district attorney, she said she would place priority and resources on crimes against “vulnerable victims,” such as the elderly and rape victims.
To which Lynn replied: “I believe that all victims of violent crimes are vulnerable.”
For more information about either of the candidates’ campaigns, visit dudley4da.com or joshualynnforda.com
This article appears in May 5-12, 2010.