First County Attorney Debate: Andrew Thomas Warns Of Nelson Rollbacks To Domestic Violence Prosecutions; Touts Four-Years of Successes

PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 1, 2008 - In the first debate between Maricopa County Attorney candidates, Andrew Thomas said his record was second to no one in the race and that, if elected, Tim Nelson would harm the progress his office has made fighting domestic violence and similar crimes.

That record of accomplishment includes:

· 24% increase in number of domestic-violence offenders going to jail or prison

· Higher conviction rate and filing rate for domestic-violence cases

· Toughest prosecution policies in the nation for violent criminals

· Successfully lobbied legislature to pass important domestic-violence legislation including:

o A spousal rape law. Chief Assistant County Attorney Sally Wells personally testified in favor of legislation. The Executive Director of the AZ Sexual Assault Network told Arizona Republic, “Without the help of Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas this effort would have died.” (Arizona Republic, 4/9/05)

o A tougher aggravated domestic-violence law

Conversely, Tim Nelson has:

· Pledged to repeal Thomas’ “plead-to-the-lead” policies, which require violent criminals to plead guilty to the highest charge and receive tough prison sentences

· No record of ever lobbying or testifying for domestic-violence legislation or doing anything at all to combat domestic violence prior to his campaign

· Represented convicted double murderer and death-row inmate Jose Ceja. Ceja murdered a Phoenix couple in their own home. Nelson opposed the death penalty for Ceja and all other inmates, calling it “cruel”and “torture.”He misrepresented the facts of the case to the court, saying Ceja had shown his “non-violent character by living without incident and . . . honorably and with dignity” while in prison. In truth, Ceja repeatedly threatened his own wife, who urged his execution.

· Has received maximum campaign contributions from numerous criminal-defense lawyers who represented heinous domestic-violence offenders and/or advertise themselves as specializing in representing domestic-violence offenders and child pornography.

“Tim Nelson is a Johnny-Come-Lately to the fight against domestic
violence. There are few fights more important and I intend to continue our successes against this despicable crime, just as we have effectively prosecuted other criminals in a way that has helped lead to a reduction in Valley crime,” Thomas said.

Paid For By Andrew Thomas for County Attorney