District attorney’s race:
What if Lloyd Oliver, whose own party wanted him off the ballot, were to win?
Prosecutors, social workers and other domestic violence experts at a political forum last weekwere shocked when Lloyd Oliver, the Democratic candidate for Harris County district attorney, said domestic violence situations should be prosecuted less, not more. They likewise were flabbergasted when he casually remarked that the office has “some of the best- looking prosecutors.”
Itwas not the first time Oliver has raised eyebrows. The 69- year- old has been arrested three times, once said domestic violence victims should “maybe learn how to box a little better,” was almost removed from the ballot by his own party, and earlier this month issued a bizarre news release spouting false allegations against his opponent.
All of which raises the question: What if he wins?
It is not beyond the realm of possibility in a presidential election year with both major parties pushing straight- ticket voting.
“If he wins, I’mmoving to Fredericksburg” said his GOP opponent, Mike Anderson. “I don’t have anything against him personally, but I can’t imagine what that officewould be like.”
His criminal history, unusual sense of humor and the unfounded attacks on Anderson, the darling of county prosecutors, mean there is almost no support for Oliver among the people hewould be leading if he wins.
Prosecutors, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, called Oliver a “joke” andworse. They were vehement about his lack of qualifications to run the office.
BecauseHarris County trended Republican in 2010, fewof the courthouse lawyers and politicians interviewed thought Oliverwould win. None knewof contingency plans for a recall election, heightened scrutiny to force an impeachment or otherways to remove a sitting district attorney.
Anderson said an Oliver victory could spark a mass exodus of as many as 100 of the 240 prosecutors in the District Attorney’s Office.
Campaign surprises
“These are the people we count on to try murders and aggravated sexual assaults and the aggravated robberies,” he said. “It could really be a horrible situation.”
Anderson said he will focus on rebuilding the relationship between the District Attorney’s Office and area lawenforcement, which openly criticized the policies of District Attorney Pat Lykos.
Oliver brushes off criticisms about thewords he uses and insists that he is talking about policy differences.
“What you see is a difference in policy, not a difference in the issue itself,” he told the domestic violence forum. He is arguing that county resources, including jail space, should be used on violent criminals, like “baby rapers.” Couples involved in “pushing matches” orwho slap their spouses just need counseling, he says.
Oliver’s campaign has had other surprises.
If he wins, Oliver has said he plans to offer jobs to Lykos and the rest of her administration.
“Because of a lack of familiarity with any part of the office, it lets him avoid the question ‘ Whatwould you do to improve the office?’ ” Anderson said.
Oliver said it makes sense to hire the people who have run the office for the past four years.
Itwas this support for Lykos and her policies that landed him in trouble withHarris County’s Democratic Party after he beat former Assistant District Attorney Zack Fertitta in theMay primary.
In August, the party sued in an effort to get him off the ballot, saying he violated party rules by endorsing Lykos, a Republican. Oliver prevailed, however, and remains on the ballot.
When Oliver compliments Lykos, he does not mention that itwas her administration that charged him with illegal lawyering in 2009. Hewas accused of paying a man to solicit clients on his behalf outside of the jail, a felony known as barratry.
The charge, whichwas dismissed after Oliver pleaded his case to grand jurors, was the third time in his career he has been chargedwith wrongdoing in his lawpractice. He has never been convicted.
Oliverwelcomes the attention to his past, saying that clearing his name has made him a better lawyer and a better candidate. He often acts as if the two roles are inseparable.
Oliver has said he runs in every election, either as a Republican or a Democrat, because name recognition is good for his lawpractice. He called his primary victory “dumb luck.”
Since the primary, Oliver has raked in $ 3,125 in contributions and spent twice that. Anderson has raised almost $ 700,000, but is not immune to Oliver’s high jinks.
Oliver exasperated the former judge and career prosecutor earlier this monthwhen he issued a news release declaring Nov. 6— Election Day — as “Violent ProsecutorAwareness Day,” and falsely claimed Anderson had been suspended from the DistrictAttorney’s Office for assaulting a crime victim.
Courtroom scuffle
Oliver’s accountwas debunked by a 1987 Houston Chronicle article about Anderson being asked to drop charges in a vandalism, which led to the twomen exchanging expletives that devolved into a brief scuffle in court. The fracaswas broken up and the manwhowanted the charges dropped in the vandalism casewas released after he apologized.
Kent Schaffer, a longtime Democrat and respected defense lawyer, said he thinks Olivermay do a good job if he wins.
“Lloyd Oliver is like many, many people who get elected without experience and rise to the occasion,” he said. “Lloyd Oliver will actually be a good district attorney, but people don’twant to give him the benefit of the doubt.”
Others, who have known Oliver for years, were more apprehensive.
“If he gets elected, I don’t knowif he can make it four years without being indicted or removed from office,” said defense attorney BobMoen. “I don’t wish that upon Lloyd, but after knowing him for all these years, will he make it four years? I thinkwe’d have to checkwhat the office pool is— may have to buy one of the squares.”