Long time six term former Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall today wrote a guest opinion in the AZ Daily Star “Laura Conover has failed this community” https://tucson.com/opinion/column/local-opinion-laura-conover-has-failed-this-community/article_15847df0-0183-11ef-8f84-979640492fd7.html#tracking-source=home-top-story (print edition A6 & 7)
Laura Conover was first elected to Pima County Attorney in Nov. 2020. Prior to that she was a criminal defense attorney.
LaWall states that “The U of A police twice brought harassment and threat charges to the County Attorney’s Office for charging. Both times, the County Attorney refused to charge, leaving Dervish free to continue his harassment and threats, and finally killing prof. Thomas Meixner.When asked, Conover claimed she could not charge the case because the police brought the wrong charges, and that the police reports were “minimal.”
LaWall also endorses candidate Mike Jette (former AG and US Attorney): “Mike Jette is running for Pima County Attorney. I am endorsing Mike Jette because he is a highly respected prosecutor with decades of experience as a local, state and federal prosecutor. He is known for his integrity, ethics and professionalism, for his dedication to crime victims, and for being a leader and manager who is motivated to work hard to protect the safety of our community.”
Barbara LaWall was present during a Democrats of Greater Tucson session with Jette on Jan.30, 2024 and said that the Pima County Attorney’s office was in “chaos” and endorsed Jette then.https://mikejette.com/mike-jette-joins-the-democrats-of-greater-tucson/ (about 45:42 minutes into the interview)
There is a debate between these two candidates in Green Valley this Saturday April 27:
AZ Citizens Clean Election Commission is also having a debate between Conover and Jette on March 14, at 4 p.m. Go to their website for the link: https://www.azcleanelections.gov/arizona-elections/debate-information?gclid=CjwKCAjw26KxBhBDEiwAu6KXt0lpPbYIxEXhDME1ivJztm91VJdvA1rm7pAcD9idaMXFotDzpl10-xoC8pAQAvD_BwE
UPDATE: Clean Elections debate moved to June 24, at 6 p.m. due to scheduling conflicts.
Vote wisely on or before the Dem primary on July 30, 2024.
More info by Barbara LaWall in Tucson Sentinel, 6/17/24: https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/061724_lawall_conover_op/lawall-county-attorney-laura-conover-factually-unhinged/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
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Mike Jette on the big stage couldn’t convict a guy who shot someone 7 times in the back. His jury selection process was awful. Mexico was watching and Americans might get a dose of that ” justice” as payback.
AZ Citizens Clean Elections Commission debate between these two candidates Conover & Jette has been moved to June 24, at 6 p.m. See our calendar. Previously on May 14.
I find LaWall’s criticism of Conover reassuring that Conover is doing the job right. LaWall’s administration was far more about artificially pumping up trial win and plea numbers to ensure her re-election than it was about real results for public safety or justice. I have always, and will always, praise LaWall for her innovative victim services, such as Victim Witness, but her tenure as CA was also marked by skewed priorities that slighted justice and fairness in favor of her own political security. She has continually advocated for a return to her own prosecutorial philosophy and administrative style through a series of proxy candidates: Jette is just the latest. Pima County should not go backward to the days of prosecutorial policies that wasted the public’s resources with no public health or safety benefits.