Knucklehead, coward, follower.
Rancorous words such as these have filled letters to the editor
and the Citizen’s Voice column of the Free Lance describing San
Benito County District Attorney John Sarsfield and Sheriff Curtis
Hill.
Knucklehead, coward, follower.
Rancorous words such as these have filled letters to the editor and the Citizen’s Voice column of the Free Lance describing San Benito County District Attorney John Sarsfield and Sheriff Curtis Hill.
The controversy stemming from high-profile cases such as the Robert Orabuena trial, the Santos murder case and the recent investigation into a number of cases during the 20-year tenure of former District Attorney Harry Damkar’s administration, has created a clamor of dissent that has rekindled scandals not-so-long forgotten.
The brutal comments chastising Sarsfield and Hill are nothing new, with both men expecting them from the get-go.
“It’s all been said before,” Hill said. “They’ve been given the opportunity and I fully expected that these things would be said. It’s no surprise on my side of the ledger.”
Sarsfield has no qualms in responding to a specific problem a citizen has about the way he’s organized his office, as long as it doesn’t concern his office’s current investigations.
Acknowledging anonymous accusations is another story, however.
“I’m not sure it even needs a response,” he said. “I think it’s a small group of the same people sending stuff in.”
A response he does feel is warranted is one in regard to why he’s opened cases concerning Dennis Stafford, who was an investigator and expert witness for the prosecution in cases dating back to 1984.
As officers of the court, the District Attorney’s office has the obligation to correct problems they find, whether they are current or many years in the past, he said.
“We’re required to make sure everyone’s rights, whether it be victims or suspects, are respected,” Sarsfield said. “We have to do what’s right, that’s just how it is.”
Statements in the Citizen’s Voice have argued that if Sarsfield is going to open cases involving Stafford, then why not open cases involving Hill, who was accused of beating prisoners while off duty in 1978. Hill’s trial ended in a hung jury.
“I have no secrets – nothing I’ve ever done has been kept from the public,” Hill said. “(The things said) are a sidebar – they’re not even on my radar screen.”
Hill’s seven-year tenure as sheriff has won him the trust and credibility from the community, which establishes that he is working to the best of his abilities, he said.
“I go home every night and look at my family, at my teenage son, and know I’m doing the most honest job I can do,” Hill said.
Working in the public eye has given both men a thick skin, realizing that negative comments will arise with any kind of controversy.
“Those people have the right to free speech and that’s fine,” Hill said. “They can say whatever they want, it’s all been said before.”
Hill is confident the sheriff department’s mission of maintaining the community’s trust is intact and that everyone in the department is working to make sure there is a sense of credibility, integrity and professionalism to the community, he said.
Although Sarsfield’s brief tenure of nine months as the county’s district attorney has been rocky, he’s keeping things in perspective.
“I am apparently the flavor of the month,” Sarsfield said. “You’d think they’d get bored by now, but I guess not.”
