Lee runs to maintain spot in prosecutor's office

GRANT COUNTY – Grant County Prosecutor Angus Lee is running to maintain his position to keep the community safe.

“I am dedicated to ensuring that we live in the safest community possible,” Lee stated. “As a former U.S. Marine, I have a unique appreciation for the many challenges faced by the members of law enforcement and was repeatedly asked by them to pursue this position.”

“I am the only candidate with the necessary combination of experience in leadership, law and office management to bring real progress to the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office,” Lee stated.

He stated his leadership experience as the current prosecutor and as a former U.S. Marine, will help him with the position.

“It takes courage, conviction, and composure to lead men and women through real changes in order to bring about real progress,” Lee stated. “I am the only candidate who has experience in the office making these changes with the result that we now have more prosecutors, are prosecuting more effectively and are $159,000 under budget. This is experience that matters. I have proven that I can lead under pressure and get results.”

There are several goals he plans to achieve if elected to the office.

“I will continue improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the office by utilizing new technology, implementing effective new programs, maintaining professional standards of conduct in the office, increasing attorney case-management accountability, maintaining budget transparency, and finding ways to work with the community to reduce future crime,” Lee explained.

He stated he is the only candidate who made improvements to the office.

“For example, when I received the first Republican Party nomination in January, I stated that, if appointed, I would cut wasteful spending, implement cost-saving diversion programs for select first-time offenders, bring in new case management technology, commit the office to budget transparency by posting the budget online, and improve our juvenile prosecution by adding an additional deputy prosecutor to the Juvenile Department,” he stated.

He stated there will be a challenge to implement better ways to fight crime in Grant County through the office.

“I intend to meet this challenge by maintaining budget transparency and by developing a genuine partnership with the community so that our office remains responsive to the needs of Grant County citizens,” he explained.

Lee stated citizens should vote for him because of his leadership experience.

Lee explained the role of the position.

He stated the prosecutor must manage a staff of nearly 30 people, aggressively prosecute criminals, manage a $2.3 million budget and ensure deputy prosecutors handle cases in a timely manner.

“The Grant County Prosecutor also tries cases and must be an exceptional trial attorney,” he stated. “It is important to note, however, that while I am the only candidate with a 90 percent conviction rate in jury trials, a prosecutor who focuses solely on trying his own cases will allow for inefficient spending to build up, deputy prosecutors to make their own hours on county time, and for cases to simply expire before charging decisions are ever made.”

Lee stated there are several ways to improve efficiency in the office by using new technology and programs, maintaining professional standards, holding attorneys accountable for their case management, keeping an open budget and working with the community to reduce crime.

“My commitment to improving efficiency is reflected in the fact that the office is currently $159,000 under budget, yet we have increased the number of deputy prosecuting attorneys by 30 percent, and have charged 70 more juvenile cases than at this same point last year,” he stated. “Further, your elected county officials have reported a dramatic increase in satisfaction with our civil representation of their offices.”

He explained there are several small ways he improved the office.

“I ended numerous paid subscriptions to legal periodicals that are all available for free online,” Lee stated. “I returned the office car so that it is no longer used as a personal vehicle for the prosecuting attorney. I also put an end to the use of county computers to surf the Web or play solitaire.”

He stated posting the office budget online and giving public safety surveys has improved the office.

Lee explained how he worked to increase the number of convictions.

“I have implemented an office policy that requires deputy prosecutors to receive written permission prior to reducing charges from felony to non-felony,” he stated.

The policy allows deputy prosecutors to obtain a conviction, go to trial or justify in writing why the reduced charges are appropriate.

“By implementing the new diversion programs for select offenders, deputy prosecutors now have more time to focus on serious violent offenders and gang members in order to ensure successful prosecution,” Lee stated.

Under his supervision, the office will only plea bargain with defendants if it benefits Grant County, he explained.

Lee stated the most important aspect of being a good prosecutor is the ability to lead under pressure.

“This is not a position where you can lose your cool in the face of adversity,” he stated. “You must have the courage and conviction to make the tough decisions in order to bring real progress and change. I am the only candidate who has proven his ability to lead under pressure and to bring real progress to the Grant County justice system.”