Contra Costa Senior Deputy District Attorney Paul Graves. photo courtesy of Paul Graves for DA
The Contra Costa County Deputy District Attorney’s Association has endorsed Senior Deputy District Attorney Paul Graves for the position of Interim District Attorney of Contra Costa County.
On Friday, August 18th, 2017, the Contra Costa County District Attorneys’ Association, made up of over 80 criminal prosecutors, voted for the endorsement.
“Paul Graves distinguished himself as a leader when he stepped forward to run for election against Mr. Peterson, a sitting incumbent at the time, despite the great professional risk he was taking, because it was the right thing to do,” said Aron DeFerrari, President of the DA’s Association.
“Our prosecutors are currently working on hundreds of cases and the interim DA will immediately have immense responsibilities to manage these cases,” added Simon O’Connell, a member of the District Attorneys’ Association Board. “Paul Graves’ experience managing and leading prosecutors gives us full confidence in his ability to keep those cases on track until voters choose the next District Attorney.”
Amongst a field of five candidates seeking the appointment, Paul Graves has distinguished himself in both public forums, his written applications and, perhaps most importantly, his actions and proven integrity as a veteran prosecutor for the last 22 years.
With the support of almost every police association, nonprofit and community based organizations Graves has worked with throughout the years, and the endorsement of the East Bay Times, “We are tremendously proud to endorse Paul Graves, he is a truly talented prosecutor, a proven leader in the law enforcement community and, perhaps most importantly, a person of genuine character and integrity – what we need most right now in our office” said Lauren Whalen, a DA’s Association Board Member and young prosecutor in the District Attorney’s Office.
For those of us in the legal field in CCC, it is NOT a shock that Paul Graves is receiving the endorsements of the police, Times, and the DA Association. Paul is a proven leader, and he is a proven successful trial lawyer who wins his cases by playing within the rules. I’ve known him for decades, and he is smart, ethical, and compassionate. I would hope that the Board appoints Paul to serve the remaining term for the past, disgraced DA. He is the best choice for this county.
This endorsement speaks volumes about the rejection of Tom Kensok who has been a pariah by his peers for decades until his friend (convicted felon Mark Peterson) promoted Kensok. Think about it, Kensok has been the 2nd in command for 7 years but he can’t get an endorsement from his peers and subordinates. Why? Well, Kensok has zero personal skills and organization skills. He’s a mess who can barely show up for work on time, or show up for a meeting on time. Let him return to being a trial attorney, as he has proven himself a failure as a leader when he was promoted by his crony buddy felon Peterson.
Of the five candidates for the open DA job, only Paul Graves is running a secret “dirty tricks” campaign to try and win the job.. Graves, most believe, hired a team of political consultants to dig up dirt on the other four contenders, which resulted in this mysterious anonymous poison pen letter being sent to local papers highlighting some minor mistakes in two of the candidates application paperwork.
Additionally, of the five candidates, only Paul Graves is raising huge sum’s of money from wealthy criminal defense attorneys to assist him in his application for the DA’s job. This money, of course, is being used to pay campaign consultants. These criminal defense attorneys, of course, are backing Graves to the hilt because they believe down the line Graves will give their predator clients – rapists and murderers – sweetheart deals, ie less jail time than those being represented by PD’. If Graves get’s the job all the rich criminal defense attorneys in the county will be cracking out bottles of champagne celebrating because they know “Sweetheart Deal Graves” will be in the DA’s chair!
I believe the fact Graves hired campaign consultants to assist him in his quest for the DA’s job – we are not having a political campaign here – we have five people applying for a job – speaks volumes on Graves lack of ethics and decency. I myself have applied for many jobs in my life, at no time have I ever thought of hiring gumshoes to “investigate” my rivals for the job. Graves secret “dirty tricks” operation really kind of tells you how desperate Graves is to get the DA’s job.
Insofar as the Deputy DA’s Association endorsement goes this too tells you that Paul Graves lacks ethics. It’s not ethical for Graves – as a higher up in the DA’s office – to go to his underlings and ask for an endorsement for the open DA’s job. If they Deputy DA’s he’s making this pitch to say no to Graves, of course, they will become a pariah in any future Graves led DA’s office, thus they are almost forced to say yes., at least publicly, under a kind of duress.
Board members mulling over the five application for the DA job are under know duress, thankfully, I believe they will select the best candidate, which will likely not be Graves, due to his obvious ethical shortcomings.