Los Angeles Deputy DA Darren Levine is known as a fighter—literally. He is not only highly regarded as an aggressive courtroom prosecutor, but is also a world-class practitioner of Krav Magda, a show-no-quarter self-defense technique used by Israel’s military and anti-terrorism units. Hebrew for “contact combat,” Krav Magda is described as less ritualistic and less focused on form and rules as kung fu and karate, and more like the art of street fighting. Krav Magda fighters are trained to do whatever it takes to subdue an opponent and deliver blows explosively, efficiently and to the body areas most likely to disable an opponent. “It’s very methodical,” Levine told the Los Angeles Times, “in terms of how you prepare yourself to be a warrior in the fighting world and how you prepare yourself to be a warrior in a high-profile court case.” LA defense attorney Michael Artan, who went up against Levine in a murder trial last year, agrees. “He fights very hard to win,” Artan told the Times, “and there is certainly a parallel (with Krav Magda.)”
According to press sources, Shasta County (California) DA McGregor (Greg) W. Scott has been selected to be the new U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California. Scott, 40, who has been Shasta County DA since 1997, would succeed acting U.S. Attorney John Vincent, who has held the post on an interim basis since Paul Seave resigned two years ago.
Norm Maleng, DA of King County (Seattle), Washington, and an NDAA board member, moves up to chair of the American Bar Association’s Section of Criminal Justice in August during the ABA’s annual meeting, giving NDAA and prosecutors generally a strong voice in that body. Former NDAA President Kevin P. Meenan is NDAA’s representative in the section.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson selected former Bernalillo County DA Bob Schwartz as his senior assistant for crime policy. Governor Richardson said Schwartz will work on general crime issues, as well as drunken driving and homeland security issues. Schwartz was DA from 1989 through 1996 and served on the state Public Utility Commission from 1997 to 1999 by appointment of former Gov. Gary Johnson.
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Matthew J. Sandoval, district attorney, 4th Judicial District, left, and Colin A. Alcott, right.
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Colin A. Alcott, deputy DA in the Fourth Judicial District of New Mexico, has been elected president of the New Mexico State Bar Association. He is the first prosecutor to serve in this position in New Mexico and may be the first prosecutor to serve as president of a state bar association in the U.S.
Massachusetts’s new governor, Mitt Romney, has named Ralph Martin, former Suffolk County (Boston) DA and former NDAA board member, to head the state Judicial Nominating Council, which is responsible for establishing “minimum qualifications” for judicial nominees.
Three Washington state prosecutors are now on the bench, having won election as county judges in their jurisdictions. They are: Gary Brueher, former Adams County prosecutor, now county district court judge; Rick Porter, former Clallam County senior prosecuting attorney, now county district court judge; and Patricia Lyon, former Snohomish county deputy prosecuting attorney, now county district court judge.
Three new prosecuting attorneys have taken office in Michigan, replacing predecessors who were elected to judgeships. The new prosecuting attorneys are Douglas Fisher, in St. Joseph County, succeeding Jeffrey Middletown, who served for 13 years; Hank Zavislak, in Jackson County, and a former sheriff of the county, who succeeds John McBain, who served for six years; and Thomas Swanson, in Roscommon County, succeeding Dan Sutton, who served for 16 years. As of this writing, a successor was yet to be named for Mark E. Luoma, who served as prosecuting attorney of Alger County for 20 years before his election to the bench.
Former San Diego (California) DA Paul Pfingst is the recipient of the 2002 Distinguished Service to Literacy and Substance Award, sponsored by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Substance Abuse and the Scripps Howard Foundation. The award recognizes individuals and organizations that have promoted, developed and implemented programs designed to address literacy. Pfingst was selected for the 2002 award for his work, as DA, in creating the San Diego County Literacy Intervention Program, which works to increase the literacy of non-serious offenders, raise self-esteem and decrease future criminal activity. Under the program, judges have the option of referring probationers to educational programs designed to assist them in receiving a GED certificate, and community colleges provide participants with literacy education, testing and project evaluation.
According to the Louisiana DAs association’s newsletter, Louisiana Attorney General Richard Ieyoub, a former NDAA president (1990-91) is planning to make another run for governor, and Orleans Parish (New Orleans) Civil Sheriff Charles Foti is planning to run for Ieyoub’s present job. If Ieyoub runs for governor again, he’ll be in a crowded field that will include Lt. Gov. Kathleen Blanco.
Four of the seven newly elected Louisiana DAs are former assistant DAs. They are: Cam Morvant (17th Judicial District), Schuyler Marvin (26th Judicial District), Jay Lemoine (35th Judicial District), and Cecil Sanner (38th Judicial District). The other new DAs include a former U.S. attorney (Eddie Jordan, Orleans Parish), a former public defender (Sam D’Aquilla (20th Judicial District), and a former state representative (Charles Riddle, 12th Judicial District).
In Arkansas, H.G. Foster, prosecuting attorney for the 20th Judicial District (Conway), is president of the Arkansas Prosecuting Attorneys Association for 2003. Brent Haltom, prosecuting attorney for the 8th Judicial District–South (Texarkana), is vice president.
New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey has named Ronald J. Casella to be Cumberland County prosecutor, succeeding Arthur Marchand, who served a six-year term after appointment by former Governor Christie Whitman. Casella, 55, is a former state assemblyman who has served as solicitor in a number of the county’s towns. In New Jersey, county prosecutors are nominated by the governor and confirmed by the state senate.
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