- Home
- News Grid
- Local News
- Green Hawk
- Politics
- School Zone
- Youth Camps
- Nonprofits
- Missing Pets
- Multimedia
- Arts
- Movies
- Outdoors
- Sports
- News Releases
- Columnists
- Blogs
- Opinions
- Classifieds
- Advertise
- Donate
- Partners
Supervisors Stay Out of Political Fray in Naming Interim DA
In a unanimous decision Tuesday, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors chose to stay out of the political fray surrounding the appointment of an interim district attorney.
Instead of appointing one of the two candidates running for the office in the June 8 election — Senior Deputy District Attorney Joyce Dudley and Acting District Attorney Josh Lynn — the supervisors chose to allow Ann Bramsen, chief assistant district attorney in the division’s North County office, to fill the role until the June outcome is known.
In a statement issued in late January, District Attorney Christie Stanley announced she would retire from her position by Feb. 8. Stanley has been battling lung cancer and cited health reasons in her statement.
Chairwoman Janet Wolf said Tuesday that the board approached the matter with a “heavy heart.”
“This is a sad moment in our county,” she said. “I wish her all the best.”
Stanley was elected in 2006 and submitted a formal resignation over the weekend.
According to county counsel, statutes say only that an appointment must be made by the supervisors, but they aren’t specific about a time frame or process for the supervisors to issue an appointment.
Supervisors Salud Carbajal and Doreen Farr already have endorsed Dudley, who announced in September that she would be seeking the seat.
Lynn, who has been filling in during Stanley’s absence, announced his campaign a month later.
Both candidates attended Tuesday’s meeting, sitting on opposite sides of the room, and each flanked by supporters and co-workers from the District Attorney’s Office.
More than 20 speakers came forward, nearly all encouraging the board to allow Bramsen to fill the position until the voters can choose a candidate.
Dudley and Lynn also spoke during the public comment period, and both said they fully endorsed Bramsen.
At their first board meeting after the election, the supervisors then will appoint the winner.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Comments
Noozhawk's comments are moderated, but by posting here you accept your responsibility to follow our rules.
- No abusive, defamatory or libelous attacks. In plain English: No personal attacks.
- No vulgar or discriminatory language.
- If you do not follow these rules, don't be surprised if your comment is removed.
- Please use the Report Abuse button on offensive comments.
- Share what you know, ask about what you don't. Give us your eyewitness accounts, observations, background and history. Tell us what else you want to know about the story.
- Stay on the topic, PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK, and forgive people their spelling errors.
Noozhawk's intent is not to limit the discussion of our stories but to elevate it. Thank you for your respectful participation. Click here for our complete Terms of Use.
Comments are moderated, and will not appear until they've been approved.
» on 02.03.10 @ 03:09 PM
This is a good compromise to the problem of giving one candidate an incumbency advantage. In fact it may encourage others who are better qualified than either of the two presently announced ones the encouragement to enter the race before filing deadline. The present choice is to hold your nose and vote for Lynn, the lesser of the evils. Dudley is just not legally competent nor intellectually suited to run such an office and her manipulative conduct (and misconduct) over the years should be enough of itself to keep voters from her.
» on 02.03.10 @ 05:39 PM
RHS
That statement is both intellectually dishonest and factually completely wrong. You clearly have neither looked into the issues nor chosen to become educated on the actual facts. In the future I strongly suggest you do so before spouting off so foolishly again.
You have every right to state your political preference for one candidate over the other and the reasons for your choice, but at least have the integrity to do so honestly and accurately.
» on 02.03.10 @ 09:32 PM
The flipside to RHS’s arguments is that if the allegations against Dudley are true then Lynn as acting DA, and his benefactor former DA Stanley both showed serious lapses in leadership of the office to let her continue. If Josh Lynn was so alarmed by her behavior he felt the need to put up a website why when he was the acting DA didn’t he take steps to correct it?
It does not say much about his leadership of the office or competency to run that office does it? Of course it could always just be a smear campaign of innuendo and dirty politics on his part. It does make you wonder who his campaign consultant is perhaps Van Wolfswinkel?
Like I said the flipside of RHS’s argument.
» on 02.04.10 @ 07:07 AM
I applaud the move by the Board of Supervisors in choosing Bramsen, who has no declared intent in running for the office of DA.
Before this decision, Mr. Lynn was pushing hard to remain in the top chair. He even ordered all letterhead, signs & business cards to show his name as DA.
But immediately after this decision, he spoke approvingly of the Supervisors decision.
He was effectively demoted by the Board of Supervisors.
Spin it any way you like.
» on 02.04.10 @ 07:32 AM
It’s interesting that letters and comments from “RHS” keep popping up all over the place on the internet. He definitely seems to have inside info from Lynn’s campaign diatribes
» on 02.04.10 @ 07:56 AM
It’s interesting that letters and comments from “RHS” keep popping up all over the place on the internet. He definitely seems to have inside inside access to Lynn’s campaign and has parrotted Lynn’s libelous ludicrous litanies all over local cyberspace.
Hmmm, makes one wonder if it isn’t Lynn’s campaign manager, the mysterious Jim O’Shaugnessy of Santa Ynez. He popped up out of nowhere, seems to have no job or visible means of support or income, and is rumored to be the architect of Lynn’s stupid stumbles and fumbles this past week in trying to smear his opponent, Senior Deputy DA Joyce Dudley.
Dudley is the obvious front-runner in the race having out-raised Lynn funding-wise during the first reporting period, garnered more high-level and prestigious endorsements than Lynn, and has many more years and much more experience than Lynn in the DAs Office.
Now Lynn loses the Acting DA slot which he had so zealously exploited for a campaign advantage for the few weeks he was holding that position, and had so libidonously pursued as a permanent appointment from the Board of Supervisors. After the intent of the Board was clear to allow his boss, Chief Assistant DA Ann Brensman (the true #2 in the office under former DA Stanley, to assume the job pursuant to succession rules under state law, Lynn disingenuously went to the podium and said he was against personally receiving such an appointment all along and felt it should go to Brensman. Disingenuous because just last week he and his office were starting to use new official stationery listing him as Acting District Attorney. Kinda presumptive, wasn’t it Mr. Lynn?
As he so readily found out at the board meeting, he shouldn’t presume anything, especially that he will be sitting in the DAs chair come June. Don’t order a chair with your name on it, Mr. Lynn.
More Local News »
Eastside Branch Library Reopens with a Whoosh, Not a Shush
Community pours in en masse after popular library's $240,000 renovation
Feeling Somewhat Off Today? Did You Set Your Clock Forward?
With spring in the air, clocks sprang forward an hour Sunday morning
Catch a Wave This Weekend at 27th Annual Rincon Classic
Surfers, fans finally get their chance after popular competition is postponed four times
Wolf, Secord Ready for Rematch in Race for 2nd District Supervisor
In filing campaign paperwork, Wolf cites record while Secord focuses on county's budget woes
The Working Life: Bob Kolata
With a keen eye and technical knowledge, he provides picture-perfect installation of artwork
Weather: Fair 51.0º
Search Noozhawk »
