By the JG/T-C
editorial@jg-tc.com

The race for Coles County state’s attorney attracted three candidates who have given voters reasons to support their candidacies.

Incumbent Democrat Steve Ferguson seeks a fifth term on a record that includes his experience, his even-keel demeanor and his handling of a growing criminal caseload. Republican Paul Komada has 22 years of experience as a circuit judge and 14 years as a Coles County prosecutor, including seven as state’s attorney. Green Party candidate Todd Reardon cites his experience trying cases and his view that someone who hasn’t been in the office is better positioned to bring about meaningful change.

All three candidates bring something different to the table, and choosing the best candidate is a close and difficult call. However, we endorse Steve Ferguson for a fifth term as Coles County state’s attorney.

“I have made this a career choice and I feel like I’m still in my career,” Ferguson said. “I feel I go about things in a very balanced and deliberate way. I like the work I do. This is rewarding, very rewarding.”

Komada retired with a long record of experience in the judicial system. He says he would use that experience to help assistant state’s attorneys be more effective, as well as in cases he handles himself. Experience as a judge, Komada said, will help him guide his staff to present information in the most useful ways to judges.

Komada also said he would better organize and manage the office, and that he would work closely with law enforcement, which is among the areas where he said he would be better than Ferguson.

Both opponents criticize Ferguson’s management of the office. In some cases, personnel matters became public when an assistant prosecutor admitted taking drugs from an evidence locker and another key assistant resigned. “I was furious about that and I’m embarrassed about that,” Ferguson said of the drug incident by a former attorney in the office.

Ferguson defends the practice of having assistants handle virtually all matters in a case, even if it means having multiple attorneys in courtrooms through the day.

“I want my attorneys to have an investment in the case.” Ferguson said he’s willing to take tough cases to trial, not just the strongest cases, saying it’s important to be willing to lose.

Reardon said Ferguson’s office is run inefficiently. He said there are too many assistant prosecutors, enough to staff each courtroom all day, every day. “You need to learn to get by with less in tough economic times,” Reardon said.

He also said Ferguson should take more cases himself (Ferguson said he handles all the county’s abuse and neglect cases). Another Ferguson inefficiency, Reardon said, is not prioritizing cases to ensure that the most severe cases get immediate attention.

“Of the three candidates, I think I have the most common sense,” Reardon said, citing as an example Ferguson’s continued prosecution on burglary and theft charges of a man already serving a life sentence from a case in another county.

Reardon criticizes Komada for saying he only wants to stay for one term before moving somewhere warm, and for not actively practicing law in recent years.

Reardon’s support as a third-party candidate indicates that people have questions about the two major party candidates.

Komada said he misses the judicial system, particularly the prosecutor’s office. He said he enjoyed the role of being the prosecutor even more than being a judge because of the opportunities to use discretion and to be actively involved in cases, as opposed to the role of a judge, who is deciding matters based solely on facts presented in court.

Komada said he will work closely with and strengthen relationships with law enforcement. He said he will help the county regain a reputation as a place where no one wants to commit a criminal offense.

Komada needs to convince voters that he has the passion to get back into the fast-paced world of running the state’s attorney’s office when he could be collecting retirement checks. He said he’s not a good fisherman nor golfer, and he’s ready for this challenge.

Reardon is giving a voice to a constituency that sometimes goes unheard. Speaking with him, you see that he is candid, accessible and willing to try different approaches.

Ferguson said he’s already doing the job and is committed to continuing to work for the common interest.

When putting it all together, we think Ferguson has the best mix of the three.

— JG/T-C Editorial Board

Published on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 9:52 AM CDT
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