Abrams the choice

District Attorney Krishna Abrams is being challenged by Ms. Sharon Henry in the upcoming June 7 primary election. Ms. Henry has put forth her core principles as truth, justice and community. Well, as a former Chief Deputy District Attorney for 10 years, the truth is paramount to me.

I am intimately familiar with the demands of the job. Myself and one other chief deputy responded to almost all homicides and major crimes in the county. The truth should always be what's most important to any prosecutor, and the truth is what I always sought to bring forward during my 20 years presenting cases to judges and juries at the District Attorney's Office. Unfortunately, you can't supervise an office with the size of staff and responsibilities from your coffee table at home as she did during the pandemic.

The truth is that Ms. Henry wasn't there when the pandemic hit, leaving the victims of crime, 60 attorneys, support staff and police officers who depended on her the most. District Attorney Krishna Abrams and the rest of her management team were on-site every single day, working to protect the community and responding to a rapidly evolving public health crisis.

Ms. Henry was accommodated and allowed to work from home while earning her full salary. However, when the DA had to reassign responsibilities what did she do? She filed a lawsuit. She never missed a paycheck, but now she wants a multi-million-dollar settlement paid for by the taxpayers of this county —a county she just moved to in January from Sonoma County. I don't think that is someone who stands for truth, justice and community.

Ms. Henry has claimed a failure of leadership at the DA's Office, all the while ignoring the fact that she is a part of that leadership.

The job of the district attorney is all about making tough decisions. It's a 24/7 job and it takes a certain kind of person to stand up to the rigors of this job. I have known Krishna Abrams for her entire time in the office. I was part of the management team that hired her and worked with her until I retired. Krishna Abrams says what she's going to do, and she does what she says. She has made the tough decisions as your district attorney and will continue to make the tough decisions as your district attorney.

I am proud of what Krishna Abrams has accomplished and I look forward to her continuing to serve this community for years to come.