One thing was very clear at a forum Monday night for the two candidates running for Sweetwater County Attorney -- they both have a great deal of respect for each other.
At the forum at the White Mountain Library, Republican challenger Daniel Erramouspe and Democrat Bob Reese not only discussed their common admiration for their opponents, but also why they’d be the best person to fill the seat of current county attorney Brett Johnson.
The first to speak, Erramouspe said he has an extensive experience in the field of criminal law, as well as having worked as a city court judge, magistrate for the treatment court and civil practice.
In his opening remarks, Reese said he does not think the County Attorney is a partisan position and the real issue is who is most qualified. He said both of them can do the job well, he just has more experience and the background for the position.
When discussing the top priorities of being county attorney, Reese said his job is to make the best case he can and present it to the jury in a way they understand why you believe in it.
He added that part of prosecutorial discretion means sifting through cases to make sure sure they are following the law.
Erramouspe said that he has to make sure justice is served and this doesn’t always mean there is a conviction and someone is going to jail. He also stressed the importance of recidivism, wether that’s is a prison sentence or treatment.
When asked by a panelist what their role would be in the court room, Erramouspe was the first to answer and said that this may not be something you see initially, he first wants to establish the county attorney’s office and than he will take case load.
He added he will step in as needed and will hand pick some of the larger cases.
Reese said he hopes to be in the courtroom from day one because that is what he is trained to do.
One of the more interesting questions of the night was posed from Rock Springs resident Sue Kearns who asked the two candidates if they would hire each other on their staff if elected.
Reese said that he would not say prior to being elected who he would hire, but that Erramouspe is a very capable attorney and he’d be lucky to have him.
Erramouspe said once he is hired, his goal would be to go into the office and do evaluations of the employees, but that he could not ask for a better attorney than Reese.
The candidates were also asked what resources they would be willing to contribute to the Family Justice Center.
Erramouspe said the county attorney has a slippery slope in this situation, and he does not want to intermingle the two agencies and the they don’t need to take money from the county attorney’s budget. He said while they need to be separate, he would lobby for funding for the center.
Reese said the center is crucially important to the community and would lobby the Sweetwater County Commissioners and let them know the importance of the center.
In closing, Reese said he has a lot of respect for Erramouspe, but he has expertise in criminal law and has served on a lot of homicide and a half dozen capital cases.
The last to speak at the forum, Erramouspe focused on the driving under the influence problem in the county. He said the DUI arrests with the higher blood alcohol levels are the ones that kill.
He said in 18 years of criminal cases he has dealt with these cases as a prosecutor, defense attorney and judge.
He said he knows the damage they can do and would focus on this issue as a top priority.
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