Thanks, Jim

I was reading Saturday's Times Herald and came across this article:

DA Candidate Finds Way Into County Courthouse

This puts the total of democrats who lost in the row officer race who now have county jobs at 3. Kelbin Carolina (Ran against Treasurer, Garrett Page) now works in the Controller's office, Ed Cheri (ran against Sheriff John P. Durante) now works as a deputy coroner, and now Peter Amuso, who ran against Risa Vetri Ferman (and lost), working for the Public Defender's office.

All I can say is this: Thanks Jim. You sit on the same salary board as Republican Commissioner Bruce Castor. You (sort of) ran on a slate (at least part of the time) to keep these people out of the courthouse. I find it reprehensible that you are voting with the dems on the salary board to embed these people into the fabric of the courthouse. It isn't because of their qualifications, either. Tell me when Ed Cheri ever performed or assisted in an autopsy before getting hired as an assistant coroner?

Chief Public Defender, Stephen Heckman, is quoted in the Times herald as saying:

"Heckman said that, in talking to Amuso, he did not believe Amuso had sufficient experience, particularly local trial experience, to serve as a part-time public defender. The 35-year-old Amuso previously worked as an in-house lawyer for a development company and had worked as a prosecutor with the U.S. Army.

The office uses veteran local defense attorneys as part-time public defenders to beef up its full-time staff, which is primarily young lawyers who recently graduated law school or having just one or two years of experience, Heckman explained."

How, then, could he justify the hire? Because the pressure was put on to do so, contrary to Heckman's stating the opposite during his Times Herald Interview. You don't hire an unqualified person to screw with people's futures. The Public Defender's office is the last hope of the poor and underprivileged in Montgomery County to have a fair shake in the legal system. It is their right to be provided with an attorney.

To put a man in there who, just a few short months ago, had hoped to put the very same people (he will now be defending) in prison is a joke.

I hope when people find out who he is, they immediately ask for another attorney. They deserve, at least, an attorney that the public defender has confidence in. Looking back to Heckman's quote, Amuso doesn't quite make the cut.

Once again, thanks, Jim. The courthouse may have needed some renovations, but it doesn't look pleasing in the new shade of blue that you've picked.

B.