LAS VEGAS -- For several hours, the three men wanting to be Clark County's District Attorney had the job interview of their lives. Commissioners and members of the public peppered the candidates with questions of what they would do specifically if appointed as the DA.
The three men who would be District Attorney sat beside each other, never showing any tension or direct competition. But as Clark County Commissioners questioned them for several hours, the choice between them became clearer.
Private attorney and accountant John Hunt is running on a social justice platform. He believes the DA's Office needs to pay closer attention to the societal needs of the county's minority communities.
"This is about justice, not about winning cases. This is about diversity. This is about bringing a community together in a very positive way," he said.
County Director of Appointed Counsel Drew Christensen bills himself as the insider, needing no "on the job training."
"There was no secret the DA, the previous DA administration, had fractured relationships with many of its community justice partners. I work with all those same partners now," he said.
Las Vegas City Councilman Steve Wolfson's resume is diverse: he is a former county and federal prosecutor and current defense attorney.
"The District Attorney files 60,000 cases a year. A lot of those are very minor offenses. Every time you charge a person with a minor offense, you have to open up a file, the court has to open up a file. The first thing I'd do is look at diverting some of the minor offenses," he said.
Hunt's tenure as Clark County Democratic Party chairman brought out the party faithful, while the other candidates had other supporters speak on their behalf. But in filling David Roger's term until 2014, the impact of the commission decision will be felt for years.
Another interesting factor to note is party affiliation. Former DA David Roger is Republican, but the majority of the County Commission are Democrats. Wolfson and Hunt are also Democrats and Christensen is a Republican. We may see a partisan shift in the top prosecutor's spot.
Commissioners will meet again next week to make an appointment. The decision could come as early as next Tuesday.
Steve Wolfson
John Hunt
