Paul Graves speaks to the Friday Morning Breakfast Club in Antioch on Friday, August 4, 2017.
By Allen Payton
Speaking before the Friday Morning Breakfast Club in Antioch on August 4, Paul Graves, the Senior Deputy District Attorney for Contra Costa County, answered questions and explained why he wants to be the county’s next DA. He is one of five finalists to be the Interim DA in the Board of Supervisors’ appointment process, having made the first round cut from a list of 12 applicants.
A 22-year veteran of the Contra Costa DA’s office, Graves was the first candidate to enter the race for District Attorney in the June, 2018 election, before former DA Mark Peterson resigned. He was willing to take on his boss in response to the scandal over Peterson making false statements on his campaign finance statements about personal use of campaign funds.
“There was a cloud over the office,” Graves stated. “In the press, there was an impression something was wrong with the office. The people in that office are dedicated to the county. While that cloud was over the office, the people asked me to step up and run against the incumbent. But, I’m not going to disparage my former boss.”
“I’m not a politician,” Graves added
He announced his campaign in May following a vote of no-confidence by the Deputy District Attorneys Association and the Civil Grand Jury’s call for the removal of Peterson.
“It wouldn’t have been as big a deal if Mr. Peterson had not decided to run again,” Graves stated during the FMBC meeting. “I did not support Mr. Peterson in 2010. I was one of those who was punished. But even Mark recognized I’m a leader in this office. I was actually the solution to the problem.”
“I chose to stay when others left, because I’m committed to the county,” he shared. “We called it the ‘French Resistance’ back in 2010. We had two choices: quite or stay here and fight. I’m a fighter. So, I chose to stay and fight.”
In his brief announcement he said, “after careful consideration and consultation with my colleagues in the District Attorney’s Office and with others in law enforcement, I have decided to run for Contra Costa District Attorney in 2018. As a 22-year veteran of this office, I have a deep understanding of this community and the talented dedicated prosecutors that already serve the public. Simply put, I know I can make a difference.”
Graves expected to be demoted, again for running against his boss and planned on providing a more complete, public announcement later. But then Peterson resigned and the Supervisors decided to appoint an interim DA.
“Only two of us were candidates before the appointment process,” he said. The other one is Santa Clara County Deputy DA Patrick Vanier, who announced his campaign about a week later in May, also before Peterson resigned in June.
Graves explained to the FBMC members his plans if elected.
“I believe in a victim-centered approach,” he said. “It’s our obligation to give the best service to the victims in our office. It hasn’t changed for the past 22 years. It’s a crime-based structure. We need to look at restructuring the office.”
“People are people. Victims, witnesses and defendants,” Graves continued. He then said his overall goal is to “save lives and drive down crime in Contra Costa County.”
As to his approach in leading the office, he said, “I like to get out into the community. I like talking to the people. The office of the DA is the office of the people.”
“I will spend my time talking to the troops in my office,” Graves added.
“I’m running on my qualifications,” he continued. “No matter what happens (in the appointment process), I’m running. I do firmly believe I am the right person for the job.”
To learn more about Graves, visit his campaign website at www.paulgravesforda.com.
Graves has been working behind the scenes to get the women judges who have applied disqualified under some bogus conflict of interest claim. Judge Becton and Judge Douglas are highly qualified for the position. Both had the right to apply – last time I checked any qualified Contra Costa lawyer can apply for public jobs without getting “clearance” from some governmental agency, including the Deputy DA’s Association. Graves has also tried to get the other applicants to drop out. He put out a press release last week that said he has raised 100,000 for the race. His message appears to be this, “”. Look, even if I don’t get the appointment I’m running. The DA’s job has my name on it, how dare anybody else apply”. His tactics have been heavy handed -to say the least – the word bully come to mind when thinking about them. Graves appears to be trying to “elbow out” the other applicants – like a Hockey player racing toward the net to score a goal.
In this article he claims he’s not like Mark Peterson. Is that really true? I recall the scorched earth tactics Peterson used to get elected back in 2010. Graves appears to be more like Peterson that he is letting on, he is campaigning to get the two judges disqualified behind the scenes, and he also is sending the following message to anybody that will run down the line, which is ” Hey I got the “Big-Moola” behind me, so don’t even bother to run. I think you can make a case here Graves is a clone of Peterson -minus Peterson’s penchant for having sticky fingers. I don’t know about others but I think the time to have women run the DA’s office has come.
Graves has been part of a work culture in the DA’s office where they have fist fights among the deputies – alleged rapes – frat boy behavior in the sex crimes unit – I see no way he can argue I deserve the job because I am Mr. Goody Two Shoes and because I have been at the DA’s office 21 years. Common sense tells you the DA’s office needs a shake-up, the old Mark Peterson team – including Graves and Michael Gressett – all need to get the heave- ho ASAP. The DA’s office needs big changes, a change in the culture of the office,. You won’t get that putting Graves in charge, I don’ think.
I would like to know if you will prosecute any crimes that are in the County’s jurisdiction we have absolute proof that Candice Anderson mislead the public using close to 2 million dollars in public funds to build a park on an old gas station site endangering children and covering up the evidence .she committed real estate fraud using the public money