What’s too bad about the San Benito County Bar Association’s
vote denouncing the behavior of District Attorney John Sarsfield
last week is that a key part of their action is tainted.
What’s too bad about the San Benito County Bar Association’s vote denouncing the behavior of District Attorney John Sarsfield last week is that a key part of their action is tainted.
Mike and Patrick Pekin should have stepped aside on the vote to endorse the recall effort against Sarsfield just as they did in the association’s other two votes, one to ask the Attorney General’s office to investigate the District Attorney’s office and another vote expressing “no confidence” in Sarsfield.
The vote to contact the Attorney General and the “no confidence” vote were overwhelmingly supported by bar association members present at the meeting last Friday. But when the lawyers split on the recall endorsement, the Pekins should not have cast the winning votes.
This in no way changes our contention that Sarsfield must resign or be recalled. He is unfit to hold the District Attorney’s office and represent the people of San Benito County. And, we commend the bar for having the guts to stand up to a very powerful figure and take action.
But anyone following the issues surrounding the District Attorney knows the Pekins have been involved with numerous controversies from publicizing Sarsfield’s alleged affair with his office manager to the Los Valientes lawsuit and Mike Pekin’s recent grand jury indictment on charges of maintaining a false and frivolous lawsuit.
The Pekins’ vested interest in Sarsfield’s recall is obvious. They would like nothing more than to see him forced from office, but voting on the recall endorsement only weakened the message the bar hoped to send – that lawyers practicing in San Benito County have serious concerns about the district attorney and his actions in office.
The manner in which Sarsfield is removed must be able to withstand public scrutiny and should not be diluted by personal issues. The Pekins failed in that regard last week. Sarsfield should be forced from office because it is the right choice for the public, not the individual.
By casting the deciding votes, the Pekins gave Sarsfield an argument to question the validity of the association’s endorsement of the recall – the easiest way to remove him from office – because they have an ax to grind.
It’s disappointing.
The measure’s 13-11 victory, with Mike and Patrick Pekin’s votes making the difference is a hollow one. Now, Sarsfield has some added ammunition to combat the bar’s significant actions.
Meanwhile, the sound of justice in San Benito County grows ever fainter, muffled by a blanket of misdeeds.
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