DA Candidate Cites Jackson Case as ‘bad decision’

[b]Solvang attorney to run for DA[/b] Scott Hadly (Santa Barbara News Press) March 9, 2006 5:59 PM A Solvang criminal defense attorney with a civil suit pending against the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s office said Thursday that he’s running to replace outgoing D.A. Thomas Sneddon. Gary Dunlap, 64, said he decided to run after no one else stepped forward to challenge Assistant District Attorney Christine Stanley, Mr. Sneddon’s pick for his successor. “If Christie wins we just get more of the same,” said Mr. Dunlap, who listed a series of what he described as botched and misguided criminal cases pursued by the District Attorney’s office. He stepped forward because no one else would. Speaking to reporters in Santa Barbara Thursday, Mr. Dunlap said the Michael Jackson case and the unsuccessful effort to convict him of six felony counts that included witness intimidation and inducing someone to commit perjury, as examples of bad decisions making by county prosecutors. “Frankly the Michael Jackson case casts a spotlight on what’s wrong in this District Attorney’s office,” he said. Source: [url=http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=BREAKING%20LOCAL%20NEWS&ID=564697103973089393]Santa Barbara News-Press[/url]