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Jill Ravitch
Two candidates are running for the office of Sonoma County District Attorney: incumbent Stephan Passalacqua and challenger Jill Ravitch, chief deputy district attorney in Mendocino County.
The Press Democrat Editorial Board endorsed Ravitch on May 9. A copy of the endorsement is attached below. Did the PD Editorial Board make the right pick? Disagree with the choice? Post a comment to share your thoughts with other members of the community.
Want to know more about each candidate?
CLICK HERE to watch a video of the candidates’ March 22 debate.
CLICK HERE to watch a video of the candidates’ April 26 debate.
CLICK HERE to watch a video of the candidates’ April 28 debate on marijuana issues.
CLICK HERE for Stephan Passalacqua’s campaign website.
CLICK HERE for Jill Ravitch’s campaign website.
PD Editorial: For Ravitch
Jill Ravitch would mix passion, experience as top prosecutor
A successful district attorney must excel in the courtroom and the boardroom. The job requires both wisdom and leadership.
As the county’s chief prosecutor, the district attorney makes choices that involve the liberty — even the lives — of criminal suspects and shape the safety of our neighborhoods.
As an elected official, the district attorney manages 125 employees and a $22 million budget and must maintain relationships with judges, police, defense lawyers and other elected officials and retain the confidence of the public.
It’s a big job, with a big profile.
In the race between Sonoma County District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua and challenger Jill Ravitch, neither candidate clearly offers voters the complete package.
Ravitch is a tenacious prosecutor, but doubts linger about her management skills. Passalacqua has fostered ties in the community during his two terms in office, but he’s still hindered by his lack of personal experience with felony cases. And his conduct on the campaign trail has renewed questions about his judgment.
But they are the choices on June 8.
And after having conversations with both candidates, listening to them debate and hearing from other lawyers, cops and judges, we recommend Ravitch for district attorney.
With experience prosecuting homicides and other major felonies in Alameda, Sonoma and Mendocino counties, Ravitch is better prepared to make the necessary decisions about criminal charges and plea agreements, to identify the defendants who would benefit more from drug treatment than incarceration and those who deserve a three-strikes sentence rather than leniency. Since she last ran for office, Ravitch has worked to fill the management gap in her resume by serving as chief deputy district attorney in Mendocino County.
As district attorney, she will need to overcome concerns raised by fellow prosecutors about her brusque personality, and she will discover that the demands of the job extend far beyond the courtroom. Ravitch told us she misspoke in a March 22 debate when she said prosecutors “owe” law enforcement a quick ruling on officer-involved fatalities. We hope so. A district attorney must ensure that victims, survivors and police all get even-handed treatment.
Passalacqua deserves credit for recruiting several outstanding prosecutors, but police and even some of his own deputies say he makes decisions slowly and inconsistently. He deserves credit for championing a Family Justice Center to assist victims of domestic violence. But he has yet to produce a complete business plan to show that it’s financially viable — a necessary prerequisite in this time of austerity.
Finally, in a job that’s about facts and precision, Passalacqua has continued to peddle the spurious charge that Ravitch traded “sweetheart deals” for campaign contributions in Mendocino County even after court dockets discredited his case.
We’re persuaded that it’s time for a change. The Press Democrat recommends Jill Ravitch for district attorney.
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Bad choice, she has NO management experience. you fault him for not having a plan for the family justice center, untrue, and what plan does she have for a 22 milion dollar budget the DA oversees? she has never managed one. In fact, what plan does she have for ANYTHING, she has never said. the pd endorsed her the last time, this rag of a newspaper will never admot it made a mistake. why can’t we have an unbiased papwer like SF or some other Bay area papers.
Hey, Jim, we supported Saddam for a long time. We even sold him biochemical weapons, which he used on Kurds. Didn’t other us a bit. Go figure.
What management experience Ravitch does have in Mendocino County is questionable in relation to the unionized employees of her department. This article is worth reading: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_14934555
Ravich does not have 4 years management experience in Mendocino
They might want to do some fact checking on that. She was in private practice for two years 2006-2008- so has had a maximum 2 years management experience in a very small in comparison to Sonoma County, DA office.
Disgraceful dishonesty from the editorial board- it’s not like it can’t have been on her resume.Ignore the facts to suit your position.
Jill Ravitch’s private law firm failed — within two years.
How can Ravitch manage a $22 million department when she can’t even run her own small business?
I suggest everyone take a look at the Sonoma County campaign support web site.
Why do you suppose the various members of the RATTO family (NORTH BAY Corporation) donated $2,500 each, (to the tune of at least $10,000) to Passalacqua’s campaign? Is it perhaps because Mr. Ratto’s “former” partner, Clem C. should be charged criminally at some point? Just very interesting that a garbage company would donate so much money to a sitting DA?
Another case of where ‘NONE OF THE ABOVE” would be the best option.
How sad that Sonoma County can’t do any better.
The endorsement probably has more to do with selling newspapers. Ravich will probably say some newsworthy quotes and sell more papers. Passalacqua is so boring from a newspaper standpoint.
Ravich is a real prosecutor and Passalacqua is a politician. Passalacqua has had his chance to make a difference and he chose to feather his own nest and surround himself with sycophants so he can believe he’s doing a good job.
Passalacqua can move on to a lucrative private practice and leave justice to the professionals.
Passalacqua has no support from law enforcement, no support from the attorney’s in is office and no support from the community. 8 years is enough.
Unfortunately, the Press Democrat has proven itself to be not of the stature or intelligence to make any recommendations for anything.
It has long been said in this county that laws, the Constitution,decisions of the Supreme Court and the facts have no effect on the decisions of our courts. What does matter is who the parties are!
Yet our Press Democrat has not called for the removal of anyone from office. Obviously, the duty of a paper to serve the people has never been accepted by the PD!
Stephen Passalacqua made unethical and inexperienced decisions in the prosecution related to the homicide of Matt Toste. His motivations were political and he rejected the recommendations of senior trial lawyers in his office. In the end, he put a man on trial for his life when the evidence did not justify it. Thankfully the jury system worked (this time) and Paul Whiterock was acquitted. Passalacqua’s judgment was directly involved and his judgment is sorely lacking.
The PD is supporting Jill? Great, that makes the decision easy, Passalacqua.
They supported Saddam before the invasion. Sickening.
Both brought unsbtantiated allegations against the other early on, which, while normal in politics, is partcularly distasteful for a position like district attorney. I have to admit I leaned initally toward Passalcqua primarily because he hadn’t really screwed things up (as his predecessor had), but his actions of late make it hard to stay with him. I’ll probably end up voting for Ravitch as she seems to be the least objectionable of the two. And I agree with Jack, would we be discussing her personality if she were a man? I think not.
I have been at all of the debates and have made up my mind not to vote for Jill. I do not concur with your article and this is journalism at your worse. The PD has missed some VERY important facts. The PD is a rag and has is not qualified to even line my bird cage. Jill hung up her shingle but could not run her own business. How is she going to run a $22 million operation??? In addition to that, she has berated quite a few people and if she is the new DA will have to be hiring new attorneys because Stephens staff will be leaving. Jill is harsh and crude with no personality. I have spoken to Jill personnally and she stated she was not political. That is one lie.
Well keep up the good work PD because your newspapaer is a rag
If there is a sweetheart deal- it was when Stephan dismissed a criminal case against his buddies at Pellini Chevrolet in Sebastopol in trade for a campaign contribution. When the DA who refused to dismiss the charges was confronted by Stephan, she was fired and the case was dismissed anyway. Now THAT is a sweet heart deal huh? Drive by the Pellini Chevrolet Lot in Sebastppol- it is covered with SP support signs- gee I wonder why? Once a defendant, now a supporter- wow what a sweet heART deal
The only choice given what Passalacqua has done on the campaign trail.
And I think Ravitch’s personality wouldn’t be a problem by any means if she were a man — but that’s just my cynical side coming out this morning….
A reasonable endorsement given that Passalacqua continues to lie about these so called sweetheart deals. First he brought the allegation out of thin air and it took him weeks to try to justify it. Then the justification was lame and untrue.
The first attribute of a good DA is honesty, which seems to be sadly lacking in Passalacqua and his administration.