http://www.newwnypolitics.com/index....d=578&Itemid=1
Touting Experience, Diane LaVallee Enters DA Race
Written by Glenn Gramigna, Editor Tuesday, 27 May 2008
DA Candidate LaVallee Pledges To "Remove Stigma Of Politics...Restore Pasion For Justice" In DA's Office
In a 3 page letter to NewWNYPolitics.com, former Asst. DA and current Erie County District Attorney candidate Diane LaVallee touts her experience as the prosecutor of murderer Angel Colon and scammer Richard Muto in pressing her case that she is the best person to be our next DA. She also promises that she "will campaign as a candidate who does not have significant political baggage or political commitments."
The full text of her letter follows:
I want to be the next District Attorney for my own reasons which I will share with you in a minute but I humbly suggest that I am the best candidate for the position and that I will lead the office of the District Attorney with dignity, integrity and passion; I also feel confident that I can win the endorsement in a Democratic primary election.
Some of you know me well and have worked with me and I would hope I have demonstrated to you my commitment to, and passion for, the law, the judicial system, for justice and for truth.
For those who don’t know me or don’t know me well - a little background:
My first introduction to the legal profession following law school was not different from that of most attorneys. I handled the daily tasks which are part and parcel of any law office: mostly business transactions and real estate closings. While not unhappy I found this wanting and had a desire to get in the courtroom. I wanted to be a litigator. Eschewing the advice of friends and colleagues I took a position in the Erie County District Attorney’s office. I assumed that I could get some seasoning and experience while I was there and that I would, in all probability, move on and join a large firm or large corporation. At the DA’s office my salary was one seventh of what I would have made had I continued in the private practice of law.
What ended up happening to me is that I fell in love with the position and with the office. I was on the front line in the practical application of justice and the rule of law. I helped find the truth in criminal matters and helped people who had been victimized in the worst possible ways. I found I had a passion, and aptitude, for litigation and for presenting and arguing matters on behalf of the people of Erie County.
I left the Erie County District Attorney’s office after 13 years of distinguished service. While my passion job and for the office were undiminished I found the politics of the office – in the large sense and the small sense – tiring and dispiriting. I went on to head the Capital Assistance for Prosecutors Unit of the Office of the New York State Attorney General. In that position I assisted small counties in the investigation and prosecution of death penalty and complicated murder trials. It was my responsibility to bring together and coordinate the work of police and ADAs to successfully prosecute these cases.
I am seeking to become the Erie County District Attorney for several reasons:
I have a passion for the office of the Erie County District Attorney and a desire to lead the office and be the face of law and justice in this community.
I feel that I am uniquely qualified for the position and have the breadth of experience – including much experience and perspective gained by working with police and the office of District Attorney in other New York counties – to handle the rigors of the job and to be the leader the office needs.
While I have the utmost respect and admiration for each of the other candidates for the position – both of whom I have worked with – I feel that my specific experience and skills make me the most qualified candidate for the position and for the job.
I feel I can win a campaign for the position because:
I am the only candidate with administrative experience as well as courtroom experience
I am the only candidate with statewide prosecutorial experience—experience that translates into new ideas on how to better run the office.
I am the only candidate who helped to found the Child Advocacy Center in Buffalo—only the second in the state at the time. I will bring back the District Attorney’s Office’s active role in it.
I was the head of the Multidisciplinary Coordinating Council on Family Violence long before “multidisciplinary” became the buzz word for efficiency. We dealt with issues involving domestic violence, elder abuse, and child abuse, making historical strides in each area. For example, we were the first county in the state that began computerizing orders of protection so that the police had access to them.
Being the only female candidate I can differentiate myself from the other candidates for the position.
I am an effective communicator and orator and I will be a tireless campaigner for the position.
I can and will develop recognition for my past experience and redevelop name recognition. I successfully prosecuted many cases including some high profile cases that still resonate in this community:
The trial of Anthony Gugino – who murdered 13 year old Jennifer Dominiak.
The trial of Gino Greco – a serial sodomist who attacked six women in North Buffalo.
The trial of Barbara James – who murdered who two infant children then slit the throat of her 9 year old son who tried to stop her.
The trial of Angel Colon – who raped and murdered Samantha Zaldivar.
The trial of six men who stomped Kevin King to death in Olean.
And the trial of Richard Muto – who fleeced over 200 Western New Yorkers out of $19,000,000 in a securities scam.
I can and will campaign as a candidate that does not have significant political baggage or political commitments – I believe this strategy will be successful given the recent unflattering attention given the office and its performance.
I have already made arrangements to form an august and dedicated committee of supporters – many of whom are not traditional political supporters - who have pledged to secure me over $150,000 in funds.
I think we need to begin to make the office of the Erie County District Attorney one which this community can be proud of. It begins with the election of a leader who can remove the stigma of politics and restore the passion for justice and truth that people of this community expect from the office and the position.
Every citizen of Erie County has a right – if not a duty – to see justice fairly applied and fairly served – and that begins with the District Attorney they elect. Whether it is a high profile murder case, an investigation of a nefarious public servant or organization - or drive by shooting – we need to make sure that every case is pursued with integrity and with vigor.
And every citizen of Erie County has a right to expect that the office of the District Attorney respects the application of justice and that it is applied with fairness and integrity. They should also expect that those who work for the public in this capacity do so with respect, courtesy and in a spirit of comity with local police agencies.
I will expect nothing less of myself or of the office of Erie County District Attorney if I am elected.
Diane LaVallee