The Post endorses incumbent C. David Warren for Athens County prosecutor.
Warren has years of experience in the position ' he has been county prosecutor since 2001, and before that, he was assistant county prosecutor for 20 years. The positive nature of his campaign is also admirable: Instead of pointing out his opponent's flaws, he focuses mainly on what he has done as prosecutor, and what he plans to do in the future.
We bear no animosity toward his opponent, Athens County Democratic Party Chairwoman Susan Gwinn, though we have been hard on her in the past. In fact, Gwinn's candidacy is a good thing ' she has been able to shed light on cases that might otherwise have slipped under the radar. We think, though, that she should stick to what she's really good at: leading the county Democratic party.
That being said, Warren should take a few pointers from what Gwinn has said. For example, he needs to prosecute in the Terris Ross case ' and soon. Although he has said there is no clock, he's wrong: The forensic evidence is getting colder and witness memories are getting blurrier. Every month that goes by will make it easier for the defense to discredit the evidence. Also, while we appreciate Warren's being so open with the press, he needs to take responsibility for the misleading news release given to the media last year in the case of a 13-year-old Nelsonville boy. Even though he may not have been personally responsible, he is still responsible for what comes out of his office.
Even taking all that into consideration, Warren's experience and results are unsurpassed. In our endorsement interview, he boasted an impressive 95 percent conviction rate. In addition, his overall attitude toward the job is promising, and we think we can continue to expect great things.
To make a long story short, Warren gets results, and he is the best option for Athens County prosecutor.
17 Archives
IncumbentG
