Primary Elections 2022: San Benito County District Attorney

The 2 candidates operating for San Benito County district lawyer within the June 7 major election are incumbent Candice Hooper Mancino and challenger Joel Buckingham.

In line with the California District Attorney’s Association, the district lawyer’s duties embody:

• defending the neighborhood with honest and equal justice

• prosecuting individuals who break the regulation

• educating the neighborhood on public security

• in search of justice for victims of crime

• offering assist to all individuals inside the neighborhood

• offering a path to reform and second possibilities for individuals who break the regulation

The San Benito County District Attorney’s Office web site says it really works to “pursue justice and enhance public security by ethically and aggressively prosecuting criminals” and works with native regulation enforcement companies and neighborhood companions to maintain kids at school and stop crime in the neighborhood. 

“From homicides to youngster molest, to home violence and property crime, the DA’s Workplace prosecutes lots of of instances in courtroom every year,” the web site says. 

Joel Buckingham, 41, was born in Portland, Oregon, and raised in Walnut Creek. He has lived in San Benito County since 2019.

He graduated from CSU-Sacramento with a bachelor of science in enterprise administration with an accounting emphasis (magna cum laude). He additionally graduated from UC Hastings Faculty of the Legislation with an emphasis in taxation.

Buckingham labored at Ernst & Younger in San Jose, the place he obtained his CPA license. He then labored for the San Bernardino County District Legal professional’s Workplace for 11 years and served as treasurer for the San Bernardino County Public Legal professional’s Affiliation.

He then labored in Humboldt County collaborating in employment interviews and mentoring employees.  

BenitoLink: County leaders are hoping to draw massive firms and have lauded an effort to extend financial improvement. Is the district lawyer’s workplace outfitted to cope with white collar (shopper) crimes? If sure, how so? If not, what must be finished?

Buckingham: The principle difficulty in terms of the prosecution of white collar crimes is one in all will, not essentially assets.  White collar crimes are typically complicated and a considerable quantity of labor. Steadily, the punishment for the crime itself isn’t notably harsh, in comparison with different simpler to show crimes. Furthermore, the defendants are typically extra subtle and have a tendency towards being extra conscious to “cowl their tracks.”  

Because of this, prosecuting white collar crimes requires a willingness to strive powerful instances and put in exhausting work and threat in making an attempt them. There is no such thing as a quantity of assets or “being outfitted” which may basically resolve a problem of will. Usually, firms which might be victimized have their very own accounting departments and can rent investigators and/or accountants to find out the financial loss themselves. The query is, are we prepared to tackle the required effort to prosecute or not?

It’s doable there’s a drawback with coaching and motivation. As beforehand acknowledged, my undergraduate was in accounting, and I’ve an inactive CPA license. I additionally labored at Financial institution of America for 3 years whereas in faculty. I can and do know what issues to ask for to assist enhance an investigation and what extra angles could also be accessible to assault in order that we’ve the strongest doable case when it does come time to prosecute.  

I’ve and can strive troublesome and sophisticated instances. White collar instances are one sort of sophisticated case that I’ll deal with. Upon coming to San Benito County, I used to be tasked to take over the prosecution of Sang Ji, a really complicated circumstantial proof homicide trial. He was convicted by jury of first-degree homicide. If I’m elected district lawyer, I’ll proceed to tackle troublesome and sophisticated instances as I prepare employees to additionally develop on this space.

If you’re elected as district lawyer, what qualities do you possess that may enhance the division?

Whereas I’ve listed many qualities that will enhance the division simply in my profession and schooling background, I wish to give attention to the one high quality that I imagine would have the best impression on the division. The principle high quality that I possess that will enhance the division is the elemental understanding that each one management is before everything by instance. 

If I would like my attorneys to be prepared to strive powerful instances to acquire justice for victims, I need to first exhibit that I’ve and can strive powerful instances. If I would like my workplace to be seen because the premier regulation and trial agency within the county, I should be and carry myself because the premier trial lawyer within the county. If I would like the workplace to show a professionalism and high quality of excellence in the neighborhood I need to first be preeminently skilled and exhibit excellence in how I carry out the job. If I would like my workplace to give attention to victims, their households, and the results of crime of their lives, I should be particularly in tune with the hurts and pains that they really feel on the loss or injustice they’ve skilled. If I would like my lawyer employees to take coaching and improvement significantly, I should be demonstrably conscious of how adjustments within the regulation have an effect on prosecution and our tasks referring to authorized ethics. The nook suite, division head, or CEO of each group units the tone for what is appropriate before everything by the way in which they conduct themselves.  

I would like each member of this neighborhood to see the District Legal professional’s Workplace as a part of native authorities that cares about them, their worries, their considerations, that sees that when their automotive is stolen, it isn’t only a property crime, it’s a big disruption to their day by day life, impeding their capability to make it to a job that pays them simply sufficient to make it by. When a menace happens at their youngster’s college, I would like the general public to see that somebody is listening to reassure them that the District Legal professional’s Workplace cares and is doing every part inside their energy to mitigate the menace. When somebody breaks into your property, it shatters a way of safety and security typically that residents have for a few years. The impression of crime isn’t just {dollars} and cents, it’s a regular erosion in our sense of neighborhood and safety.

Is there worth in informing the residents of the district lawyer’s choice on charging or not charging suspects or when instances are solved by the courts comparable to trials or choose’s rulings?

I imagine there may be large worth in informing our neighborhood on a lot of our selections. Residents of our neighborhood need to know what the District Legal professional’s Workplace is doing on their behalf in courtroom. You’re our shopper. How can we not be occupied with informing you as to what we’re doing?  

Informing the citizenry of what’s taking place in courtroom permits us to higher replicate the need of our shopper: you. I imagine that it additionally helps us to get higher outcomes from the judicial system. If we are able to show a brazen theft of an Amazon bundle from somebody’s porch, and we ask for 120 days in county jail due to the egregious habits, I imagine we usually tend to get that sentence if everybody else within the legal justice system is aware of that voters might be knowledgeable if the brazen bundle thief solely obtained a 10-day sentence. 

I suppose there’s a threat in informing the general public about what we’re doing and, in that, typically the general public will disagree with what we’re doing. Nonetheless, I don’t see that as a damaging, the voters of this neighborhood shouldn’t be consulted solely as soon as each 4 years as to the course that they wish to see this neighborhood go, I imagine that all through the interval of 1’s time period your elected district lawyer should be listening and calibrating the workplace’s efficiency based mostly upon listening to from you. If we wall ourselves off, how can we probably know if we’re serving our shopper appropriately? Solely by informing our constituents can we be assured that we’re serving you appropriately. 

What makes you extra certified for this place than the opposite candidate?

I might checklist my trial expertise which I imagine is considerably better than my opponent, and actually as I perceive it, I’ve prosecuted extra homicide trials to verdict than my opponent over the whole lot of her profession and the remainder of the present workplace mixed. I might describe my document of partaking with county negotiations to combat for the long-term finest pursuits of my membership and division. I might describe the coaching and mentoring I’ve finished with attorneys and regulation enforcement officers, or my capability and willingness to analysis complete annual monetary experiences and develop memorandums of understanding with different companies. I might element my background in understanding the non-public sector and the best way to serve one’s shoppers, however in the end what makes me higher certified than my opponent is that I see what is going on in our society proper now, and I wish to ensure that the District Legal professional’s Workplace is engaged and dedicated to creating your life higher.  

I see that many in our neighborhood are anxious about rising crime charges and that the qualities that we moved right here to Hollister for are altering. I see that a lot of you’re anxious concerning the rising violence and shootings which might be taking place on our streets. I see that for many people, fentanyl and medicines have reached into your households and devastated them in methods we by no means would have anticipated watching our younger ones develop up. I see the way in which that all of us really feel an increasing number of distant from one another, that it typically appears like nobody cares. I see the way in which that your small enterprise is combating a declining margin and tighter provides and extra annoyed prospects. I see that each dad and mom are commuting to jobs and burning each ends of the candle and once you return dwelling from an extended day, you wish to know that your property has been safe and that the packages you will have ordered haven’t been stolen. I see that you really want to have the ability to park your automotive on the road exterior your property and never come again hours later to search out your catalytic converter stolen. 

I see this, and I wish to ensure that your District Legal professional’s Workplace isn’t including to your burdens, however as an alternative is working to make sure that your neighborhood and society works, that your small business is given area to flourish, that your loved ones may need hope once more as members of your loved ones defeat habit and go away the fog of despair. I wish to maintain accountable those that would shatter our safety in violence, and see to it that they’re punished and separated from us who want to stay in peace in civil society. I can’t promise to eradicate crime, however I wish to provide the confidence to know that as your district lawyer I care about the way in which crime impacts you, and I wish to do every part in my energy to combat for you and us for a greater tomorrow.

Hollister police not too long ago released a video of the arrest of Ery Hernandez. Police mentioned Hernandez had referred to as for police help in 2016 and when police arrived officers believed he displayed signs of being below the affect of a managed substance. Police mentioned Hernandez turned “agitated” and “confrontational.” The video reveals an officer repeatedly hanging Hernandez with a baton as Hernandez makes an attempt to flee. What’s the position of the DA in reviewing instances to make sure police use power solely as wanted?

The District Legal professional’s Workplace performs an important position in reviewing and investigating instances involving the usage of power. Whereas regulation enforcement companies have a accountability to interact in their very own inside processes, the general public must have faith that the District Legal professional’s Workplace is neutrally investigating or relying upon a impartial investigation to find out the appropriateness of a “vital” incident.  

In San Bernardino, for instance, there was the case that within the occasion of a CHP officer- concerned taking pictures, the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Division performed the investigation into the usage of power. This fashion, the company concerned was not the identical because the investigating company. I’m honored to say that I’ve had the accountability to evaluate and difficulty a report relating to an officer concerned taking pictures whereas in San Bernardino County. In a selected case, the restraint of regulation enforcement officers was unbelievable as officers had been shot at a number of occasions earlier than lethal power was compelled for use. The method of an intensive investigation had the impact in that case of an entire exoneration.  

Exoneration is simply as crucial a part of a use-of-force investigation as the choice. Many of the public simply desires to have the proof and regulation evaluated and defined. When this occurs, the impact is that we’ve extra confidence in our neighborhood and in these we entrust with the authority to make use of bodily power. No matter an investigation’s end result, the general public deserves to know that somebody is conscious and paying consideration to what’s taking place in our neighborhood and that the regulation is being adopted by everybody, and everybody consists of the District Legal professional’s Workplace, regulation enforcement, and in the end the general public.

Candice Hooper Mancino, 65, was born and raised in San Jose. She started working in San Benito County in 1987, the place she purchased property in 1990. She has lived in Hollister since 1994.

Hooper Mancino served as deputy district lawyer for Santa Clara County in 1987, after which turned deputy district lawyer for San Benito County from 1987 to 2007. She was first elected as district lawyer of San Benito County in 2006 and reelected to a few extra phrases. 

She has a bachelor’s diploma with honors from San Jose State College and obtained her juris doctorate from Santa Clara College Faculty of Legislation.

BenitoLink: County leaders are hoping to draw massive firms and have lauded an effort to extend financial improvement. Is the district lawyer’s workplace outfitted to cope with white collar (shopper) crimes? If sure, how so? If not, what must be finished? 

Hooper Mancino: Sure. Not solely are we outfitted to cope with white collar crime, however we’ve additionally efficiently prosecuted such crimes up to now. If a state of affairs did come up the place my workplace didn’t have expertise with a selected side of against the law, I’m able to attain out to different District Legal professional’s Places of work to get the required instruments for the submitting and prosecution of any crime. I’ve established sturdy working relationships with different District Legal professional’s places of work all through the state and we’re all the time prepared to help one another in areas the place we could lack particular coaching.

The county has points retaining certified staff. Because the district lawyer for 16 years, how have you ever been in a position to appeal to certified employees to serve in a small, rural neighborhood?

Hooper Mancino: It’s not troublesome to draw certified candidates to our workplace. Nonetheless, with the wage and profit scale accessible to us it’s typically troublesome to maintain certified employees. I proceed to deal with this difficulty with the county to extend wage and advantages. As soon as right here, nevertheless, individuals discover out that our county gives a lot extra in different areas comparable to an important neighborhood to lift a household, good faculties, and an important crew to work with inside my workplace. And though we could lose certified employees, they have an inclination to depart right here to serve this county or different counties in different capacities. Each of our Superior Courtroom judges had been as soon as deputy district attorneys in my workplace.

Is there worth in informing the residents of the district lawyer’s choice on charging or not charging suspects or when instances are solved by the courts comparable to trials or choose’s rulings?

The place main crimes are dedicated in our county the neighborhood has a proper to be told about charging selections by the district lawyer. The general public must be stored knowledgeable concerning the crimes being dedicated in our county and what developments to pay attention to.

I respect the general public’s proper to know. I additionally respect each victims’ and suspects’ rights, together with privateness rights the place acceptable. Moreover, I acknowledge the necessity to shield the integrity of the prosecution within the occasion a case goes to trial. All these are components I take into account in what sort of knowledge I launch to the neighborhood.

What makes you extra certified for this place than the opposite candidate?

My expertise. I’m a profitable prosecutor with quite a few convictions in very critical instances comparable to homicides, sexual assaults, and many others. After I got here into workplace, morale was extraordinarily low from the earlier administration. The recession had lowered my employees to reveal minimal ranges.

I’ve been in a position to restore morale, enhance staffing ranges and re-establish regulation enforcement relationships that had been destroyed. I’m proud to say that as a result of I had elevated staffing in our sufferer providers division, we had been in a position to ship advocates to help the victims of mass shootings each in Las Vegas and Gilroy.

I’ve carried out a case administration system which has streamlined the workflow and we’re at present in transition to grow to be a paperless division. This technique helps us to avoid wasting assets whereas slicing prices to function our workplace.

Not solely am I a prosecutor who handles courtroom calendars and instances, I’m an administrator coping with funds and personnel. I’ve been a part of many committees which have elevated providers to our neighborhood comparable to Behavioral Well being Courtroom, Drug Courtroom, Neighborhood Corrections Partnership and different specialised committees. I’ve labored carefully with regulation enforcement companions all through the state and convey 16 years of expertise to the day-to-day operations of the District Legal professional’s Workplace.

I’m concerned in our neighborhood performing as a member of the board of administrators or as an officer with quite a few neighborhood teams comparable to YMCA, Emmaus Home, FFA Ag Boosters, Cattlemen’s Affiliation and Juvenile Justice Fee, to call just a few.

Hollister police not too long ago released a video of the arrest of Ery Hernandez. Police mentioned Hernandez had referred to as for police help in 2016 and when police arrived officers believed he displayed signs of being below the affect of a managed substance. Police mentioned Hernandez turned “agitated” and “confrontational.” The video reveals an officer repeatedly hanging Hernandez with a baton as Hernandez makes an attempt to flee. What’s the position of the DA in reviewing instances to make sure police use power solely as wanted?

This sort of state of affairs comes below scrutiny in 3 ways: the regulation enforcement division’s inside investigation, potential federal evaluate for civil rights violations, and in my workplace for evaluate of legal legal responsibility. My investigators can be found to help in these investigations. It’s my workplace’s obligation to evaluate the proof offered and decide if against the law has been dedicated, and if discovered, I’d prosecute as I’ve prosecuted regulation enforcement officers up to now.

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