Thursday, February 22, 2007

SummitCo Prosecutor Seeking Opinions on DUI Changes

From Sherri Bevan Walsh via SC Dem Party:

    I am leading an initiative to strengthen our DUI laws on how they apply to repeat drunk drivers. Currently, individuals with several (some as many as 20) convictions for driving while intoxicated often refuse to take a breathalyzer or blood alcohol level test. These tests provide a very important element for the prosecution, an individual's level of intoxication.

    I would like to change the law to mandate that repeat drunk drivers take either a breathalyzer or blood alcohol level test. I am surveying Ohio residents on how they believe the law should be changed on repeat drunk drivers. Please go to my website at http://www.co.summit.oh.us/prosecutor/ and cast your vote.
Walsh, whom I used to work for, has been one of the more aggressive prosecutors in lobbying for legislative changes. Surf on over and tell her what you think.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What Walsh does is to see what legislation is being introduced in Columbus and then jumps out front and pretends she's leading it. She's a fraud and the worst prosecutor in Ohio.

No deal with Arshinkoff is going to save her this time.

Scott Piepho said...

Trust me, I have my issues with SB Walsh. In fact I've studiously avoided blogging about her in the past because I know too much. Nonetheless, I think Anon's criticism is unfair.

First off, I do know first hand that Sherri has initiated legislation in the past and that she initiated legislation specifically aimed at chronic DUI offenders in the past. Back when I worked for her, she was friends with Leigh Harrington and worked together with him on a number of issues, some of which were her ideas and some which were percolating in the GA and she worked on fine-tuning. She also encouraged her assistant prosecutors to come up with legislative ideas.

I also think it's a long stretch to say she's the worst prosecutor in Ohio. Even if her legislative activities were solely opportunistic showboating, it wouldn't "prove" her to be the worst and Anon doesn't cite anything else she does poorly to back up the claim.

Third point: Don't expect her to be gone in '08. She has built up some strong constituencies and her early missteps are too long in the past to affect the race. Since she first won, both ODP and SCDP have gotten stronger and better organized. Barring some major scandal between now and then, expect Prosecutor Walsh to stay in office.

Finally, it's a bit rich to be dropping bombs like this from behind a veil of anonymity. You want people to take a claim like that seriously, Anon you should man up and own it.

Anonymous said...

why should i be forced to incriminate myself ?