Todd Thompson, a Republican, is running for Leavenworth County Attorney

Moderator

Hello and welcome to our third and final LJWorld.com Election 2008 chat of the day. I’m your moderator, online editor Jonathan Kealing. Like our previous chat, this one is also being cosponsored with TonganoxieMirror.com. We will be cross posting questions on each site, so this chat may look a little different than usual. We still have a few minutes until the chat begins, and are still looking for questions.

Todd Thompson

Shawn I like to thank you and everyone else for allowing me the opportunity to answer questions today.

Moderator

ttown321: Do you have any top priorities if you are elected county attorney?

Todd Thompson

Yes I do. My top priorities are to improve the communication with the community and law enforcement officers. I also have a plan to supervise over plea agreements and the charging of cases. These are all the priorities of the office that need to be stepped up to make Leavenworth County safer.

Moderator

justice4all: How many complete jury trials have you had?

Todd Thompson

I have had 5 complete jury trials. I have been the head of the juvenile division in Leavenworth County. While I was there I also did several adult cases, but juvenile cases are bench trials, or trials before a judge. I have had over 200 of those cases of all type. Some of the cases I had primary responsibilities were the child sex abuses cases where I had to have children the age of 3 to 5 discussing on the stand what happened. That takes a lot of time and preparation.

Moderator

Bob_Busk: Todd, What is your position on local prosecution of illegal immigration? A concern of voters in southern leavenworth county is that you’re focused only on Leavenworth and Lansing?

Todd Thompson

Thanks for the information, but my tendencies of focusing only on Leavenworth and Lansing couldn’t be further from the truth. Leavenworth County is my home and you can ask the law enforcement in your community, I have never given my priority to anyone in particular, but to everyone impartially. I think the biggest grievance I have heard from Law Enforcement that I have worked with is that sometimes they feel like they don’t get treated as fairly. Sad fact is that the law enforcement in Leavenworth and Lansing have the same complaints. I have made regular visits in the last five years in the County Attorney’s office to Tonganoxie and Basehor. I would meet with all the school officials and provided trainings for the law enforcement. As for the police reports that come in, there is no priority there, I take them as they come in. I return all the calls or visits to any of the officers. That answer did focus primarily on officers, but that is how I get my information on who to prosecute and how to protect everyone in the community. I have talked to citizens in the community and what also needs to happen is better communication back and forth so those in the South know what is transpiring with their case so they are being taken care of.

Todd Thompson

As for the illegal immigration, this is a Federal issue that the County Attorney’s office does not have much control over. Trust me I know. I have had several cases where I have contacted I.C.E. when I found out we had illegal immigrants. I.C.E. told me on several occasions that their only way they would look at deporting an illegal immigrant is if they caused a felony or in a home with 20 people. The only thing as County Attorney I would do is make sure I can charge them with the strongest offense I could. I, of course, would constantly inform I.C.E. of any illegal immigrants we see come through the County Attorney’s office.

JeremyWestenn

Todd,

why are you more qualified over your opponent? Why will you do the job better then Deb Snider?

Todd Thompson

I know Leavenworth County. I have worked with all the law enforcement offices, probation offices and County offices, other attorney’s and judges for the last 5 years and an attorney in the community for 8 years. I know the people in the County Attorney’s office and I know where the strengths and weaknesses are already and come in there and make the changes immediately. Further, I am a prosecutor and have been a prosecutor. I know the people of the community. I have the managerial experience from helping with my parents business to helping in the County Attorney’s office. I have already been endorsed by the Former Chief of Police of Leavenworth, Lee Doehring as well as the Leavenworth City Fraternal Order of Police Troop 19.

sinedie

Mr. Thompson: Would you please describe how you would do the job better than the current CA, and other reasons for running? Thank you very much.

Todd Thompson

I thank you for the question as well as everyone else that has asked questions

Todd Thompson

The office can be run a lot more effectively and efficiently. There are several areas in the office the County Attorney’s office that need improvement or changes. One thing as I have been going to meetings, door-to-door and meeting with law enforcement is the lack of communication they say they have had with the office and themselves. As I said before, that is something that needs to be changed. The law enforcement needs to know that they will be able to get to the attorneys and discuss their cases, get prepared and told what is going on, same with the witnesses and victims. A liaison that reaches out and is specifically there to communicate to people and law enforcement is imperative. Further, there are areas in the office that are not necessary and areas that are and that needs to be managed better and I know where those are from being there.

Moderator

That’s all the time we have for our chat today. Thank you to Todd for fielding these questions and all of you who sent questions in. A reminder, the previously scheduled 5 p.m. chat with Francis Hurla has been postponed indefinitely. Please join us again Monday for a chat with Douglas County Commission candidate John Tacha and Tuesday for a chat with U.S. Senate democratic candidate Jim Slattery. To post a question for either of those chats, log on to www.ljworld.com/chats.