During the last year, I have been actively engaged in my campaign to become the next DeKalb County state’s attorney. I have often been confronted with questions about the nature of the state’s attorney office and the role it plays in the administration of justice. As my opponent’s conception of this office appears to be radically different than my own, I felt it appropriate to set forth my view in a public forum so as to make it abundantly clear how I will fulfill this vital role if elected.

The most important function of the state’s attorney office is the successful prosecution of criminal cases. The hard and often hazardous work of our law enforcement officers is wasted if it is turned over to inefficient and untrained prosecutors. Cases that should be disposed of quickly are endlessly continued. Cases that should proceed to trial linger for months, often years, before they get adjudicated, leaving victims, law enforcement and court personnel frustrated. Victims and police officers are often placed in the unenviable position of having to testify about an incident that occurred long ago. Justice delayed is justice denied.

The state’s attorney must have the extensive trial experience necessary to personally lead a team of prosecutors to ensure that delay is the exception and not the rule. Such leadership must occur in the courtroom and not from the administrative offices across the street. Traffic and misdemeanor cases should not be handled by the state’s attorney, but rather, should be delegated to less experienced prosecutors or qualified law students. The fact that our present state’s attorney spends the bulk of his days in traffic court, at a salary of more than $130,000 per year, rather than in felony court, where the serious offenders are being tried, should be a major concern for both taxpayers and citizens alike. The state’s attorney must personally participate in the prosecution of our most serious offenders to ensure that our streets and schools remain safe for our children.

Experience matters in most positions of authority. Often it is the critical factor in the hiring process. The police chief must have battled street crime as a patrol officer; the fire chief must have fought his share of fires; and the state’s attorney must have tried major felony cases. Anything less jeopardizes public safety.

Calvin Clay Campbell

Republican candidate for DeKalb County State’s Attorney