Politics & Government

Sonoma County DA Jill Ravitch Faces Challenge From Deputy DA Victoria Shanahan

Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch's bid for re-election on June 3 faces a challenge by Sonoma County Deputy District Attorney Victoria Shanahan.

Ravitch, 55, the county's first female district attorney, said her priorities have been targeting DUI, violence against women and white-collar crime offenders.

She said her office has expanded the domestic violence, sexual assault and child and elder abuse services of the county's Family Justice Center established by her predecessor Stephan Passalacqua.

"We've established a dedicated elder protection unit to deal exclusively with cases of fraud, neglect and violence against senior citizens. We're targeting violent criminals and gangs and it's working. The California Department of Justice reports our felony conviction rate is at a 10-year high," Ravitch said in her campaign statement.

Ravitch, who tried a murder case herself during her first year as the county's district attorney, said she has put managers back in the courtroom and expanded efforts to inform the public about identity theft, money scams and elder abuse.

Ravitch, a Sebastopol resident, also said she has reduced the backlog of felony cases and established an adult truancy program to hold parents accountable for the absence of their children from school.

Ravitch's law enforcement supporters include state Attorney General Kamala Harris, Sonoma County Sheriff Steve Freitas, Marin County District Attorney Ed Berberian and Solano County District Attorney Donald du Bain, retired Sonoma County District Attorney Mike Mullins, the Crime Victims Action Alliance, Citizens for Law and Order Inc., and Crime Victims United of California.

Shanahan, 45, of Cloverdale, cites her people skills and management and prosecution experience as qualities that will bring, strong, transparent and effective leadership to the district attorney's office.

"I'm a career prosecutor who has successfully prosecuted hundreds of serious and violent cases to keep the community safe. I was awarded prosecutor of the year in both Mendocino and Sonoma counties," Shanahan said in her campaign statement. Shanahan said she specializes in prosecuting domestic violence and gang cases.

Shanahan disputes Ravitch's claim of putting managers back in the courtroom.

"Only four cases have been tried by managers in the past three and a half years. As a result, there is a real disconnect between the managers and the front line deputies and what is actually happening daily in the courtroom," Shanahan said.

Shanahan said the adult truancy program was established in 2009, two years before Ravitch took office.

She said marijuana cases, some of them three years old, continue to clog the court calendar.

Shanahan also claimed the county's conviction rate has increased only one-half percent over the past 10 years and that Ravitch has failed to provide statistics to support her claim.

The undercurrent to the election is public reaction to the killing of 13-year-old Andy Lopez by Sonoma County sheriff's Deputy Erick Gelhaus on Oct. 22.

The Justice Coalition for Andy Lopez has called on Ravitch to arrest and indict Gelhaus for murder and complete her office's review of the Santa Rosa Police Department's investigation of the shooting before the June 3 election.

Ravitch's review would include determining if there were any violations of criminal law, prosecuting any violator, providing a summary and recommendation to a grand jury, and presenting investigative information to the grand jury on request.

"We will take the time it requires, no more and no less. The Lopez family, Deputy Gelhaus and the public deserve that," Ravitch said.

Members of the Justice Coalition for Andy Lopez are urging a write-in vote for Andy Lopez in the district attorney's race.

Gelhaus shot Lopez seven times just outside the Santa Rosa city limit when he mistook an airsoft pellet rifle Lopez was carrying for an AK-47 rifle.

Gelhaus told Santa Rosa police he ordered Lopez to drop the gun and the gun barrel rose upward as Lopez turned toward him.

The candidate with a majority vote will win the election.

[Related: Candidates Vie for 2 Sonoma County Supervisor Seats in June 3 Election.]

--Bay City News


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