Lin wants to obtain justice for victims

GRANT COUNTY – Grant County Deputy Prosecutor Albert Lin is running for Grant County Prosecutor to fight crime, punish offenders and seek justice for victims.

“With an epidemic of violent gang crime, I want to continue to serve and protect the citizens of Grant County as a working prosecutor getting results,” Lin stated. “I will bring experience, professionalism, competence, integrity, openness and efficiency to the office.”

His 10 years of experience as deputy prosecutor will help him run the office, he stated.

“I have learned that ‘actions speak louder than words’ and that as a team leader, I must lead by example,” Lin stated. “Experience taking on the most difficult cases gives me the confidence to lead and mentor our young attorneys so that when advice is sought, it will be the kind of advice that will be respected.”

A team comprised of experienced and new attorneys will lead to success in the courtroom, he stated.

“My goals for this position are to fight and punish violent gang and drug crimes and to protect our citizen’s safety and property,” Lin stated. “In order to effectively fight violent gang and drug crimes, we must grow our young attorneys into a highly competent and efficient office.”

He plans to keep a transparent budget.

Lin foresees challenges leading a team with new attorneys.

“With so many new and inexperienced deputies, training and supervision will be a challenge,” he stated. “With a new civil deputy, creating strong relationships with the various county departments is another important goal.”

Lin plans for more outreach to police agencies in Grant County and the community to address citizen concerns.

He asks citizens to vote for him because he is qualified, experienced and wants the job.

“My leadership style of coalition building has encouraged a team of respected community leaders to contribute to our campaign,” Lin stated. “I will uphold the standards of unity, integrity and camaraderie that typified the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office for decades and will aspire to the same integrity, judgement and energy that characterized John Knodell personally.”

He stated he is the best choice among the three candidates to gain cooperation from diverse groups.

“Justice is not partisan,” he stated. “The broad based coalition that supports our campaign reflects well on the community minded effort that I will bring to the prosecutor’s office. As a consensus builder, I will be able to focus all groups on the problems posed by violent gang and drug crimes in Grant County. This truly must be a team effort.”

Lin explained the duties of the prosecutor.

“The job of the Grant County Prosecutor is to protect against criminals kicking in your front door, criminals preying on our kids and gang bangers shooting at our kids,” he stated. “The prosecutor does not prevent crime, but nothing prevents the prosecutor from encouraging community involvement and programs that prevent or deter crime.”

The prosecutor advises county officials to prevent them from court proceedings, he added.

Lin explained how he plans to improve efficiency within the office.

“The prosecutors have to exercise discretion in what to charge as a crime,” he stated. “I would have prosecutors decide what cases are appropriate for prosecution in district court, just as they do in superior court. I would encourage district court deputies to work in concert with the superior court deputies so that their skill is increased. I would encourage prosecutors to not charge those acts which are handled most cost-effectively in small claims court. Prosecutors are not bill collectors.”

Lin plans to require the office to have better communication with witnesses, defense attorneys and judges.

In the courtroom, the goal is to obtain justice, not a quota of convictions, he explained.

“When a crime is committed, it can and should be proven in the courts,” he stated. “I would ensure convictions by seeing that our deputies are competent at the trial by providing adequate supervision and training and by having an appropriate ratio of experienced to inexperienced attorneys. Having access to an appellate attorney during those trials so that errors are avoided in the first instance and having an appellate attorney to safeguard those convictions on appeal.”

Lin explained his view on using plea agreements to obtain convictions.

He stated roughly 98 percent of convictions in the state result in guilty pleas.

“The courts could not run if every case went to trial,” he stated. “So the object is not to do away with plea agreements but to create a system where they are used most effectively.”

Lin wants to train attorneys to make appropriate decisions.

“Careful charging prevents reductions later where charged crimes cannot be proven,” he stated. “In district court I would have guidelines for charging and sentencing so that resources are used appropriately. In felony court, I would stress that more complicated negotiations are supervised by the more experienced attorneys and discussed as a group to increase consistency of these decisions.”

He explained community safety and financial responsibility are a priority in the decision making process.

“There are many aspects, all of which need to be present in a competent prosecutor,” Lin stated. “Honesty and integrity are essential traits. Humility, moderation in the use of power, service and self-sacrifice are also important. Leadership, a habit of listening, good relationships within the office, good relationships with the client (and) good relationships with prosecutor colleagues across the state. Self control, patience, intelligence and knowledge that come with experience are essential toward the success of running a prosecutor’s office.”