Republicans are big supporters of law enforcement. We believe in the fair and just application of the law and support our men and women in law enforcement. However, Republicans also have a healthy distrust of big government and irresponsible prosecutors. Prosecutors wield immense power and this power can do severe damage to the average citizen when it is not exercised justly.
The recent case of the State of California v. Joel Angeles is a perfect example of how unjust the system can be when corrupted by an irresponsible prosecutor. The case surrounded events which occurred outside the June 18, 2008 Tony Strickland fundraiser featuring Mitt Romney. The race to replace State Senator Tom McClintock was hotly contested. Both sides spent nearly 6 million dollars each and when the dust settled Tony Strickland had prevailed by less than 1500 votes (or as Strickland likes to say, he won by about one vote per precinct).
It was in this environment that a group of Democrat protesters arrived at the Strickland event. It became clear that the intention of the group was to engage with the Strickland supporters who were gathered in front of the hotel. Assemblywoman Audra Strickland’s Chief of Staff, and longtime FR friend Joel Angeles attempted to negotiate a buffer zone between the Strickland supporters and the Democrat protesters. Angeles was quickly surrounded by the surging mob of Democrat protesters. He was pushed, shoved and things got heated. At one point, Angeles was hit in the face by the President of the Camarillo Democrat Club, John Phillips. Most of these events were captured on video tape. Eventually, order was restored and both sides agreed not to press any charges. However, approximately five weeks the later the group of Democrat protesters changed their minds and decided to report the matter to police and request prosecution. Furthermore, they issued a press release stating that they were requesting a citizen’s arrest. Surprisingly, the Attorney General’s office decided to file criminal charges against Joel Angeles some seven months after the events had occurred.
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September 30th, 2009 at 12:00 am
This is an excellent example of where the defense costs for Mr. Angeles should be paid by the thugs that attacked him and then pressed charges against him.