EDITORIAL - Many eyes are on the race for Madera County District Attorney and I feel compelled to weigh in publicly on this extremely important decision. Paul Hornick is the only choice for District Attorney.

Why is my opinion relevant among so many others? Currently, I am the Assistant District Attorney for the Madera County District Attorney’s Office. My husband is also an attorney. Between the two of us, we have almost 45 years of criminal law experience, almost all of which have been within the county of Madera.

Over 20 of those years have been served specifically within the Madera County District Attorney’s Office. (I have personally spent over 15 years in this office.) I have observed, first-hand, the history of the office and have lived through and seen many successes and many failures over the years.

I know both candidates. I have worked with both candidates. I have even been the supervisor of both candidates. That is why I, respectfully, disagree with the Madera Tribune’s riveting assessment that the formula for determining the best candidate consists merely of adding the number of years each person has worked at the job. (Not to mention, there is a serious problem with the Tribune author’s math in calculating Hornick’s opponent’s time as a prosecutor!)

Paul is organized, hard-working and ethical. He is dedicated, both to being a prosecutor, and to Madera County. However, he is more than that. He is a man of genuine character. He is the only candidate who, throughout this campaign, has continued to serve his community as a prosecutor carrying an extremely full case load.

The Madera DA’s Office is too small to afford him the opportunity to be moved, or placed into an assignment that is “more flexible” and allows ample time during normal working hours to oversee a campaign, as I have heard it said of his opponent.

As a matter of fact, I have observed Paul work tirelessly to achieve justice for victims, no matter how big, or small, the case. That is the mark of a true prosecutor – one who works just as diligently on what others would call a small, or insignificant, case as he would on a “big” case. This truth is exemplified when the prosecutor consistently conducts himself in the same manner, even when pressed with personal constraints on his time.

What the Madera DA’s Office needs is someone who is able to juggle many different issues simultaneously. Not someone who requires a “flexible schedule” to be able to concentrate on one task. It needs someone who can make tough decisions for the right reasons. Paul is that candidate.

The Madera County Prosecutors’ Association, most of whom have also worked with both candidates, is endorsing Paul. Most of the attorneys in Madera County are endorsing Paul. Many law enforcement agencies in Madera County are endorsing Paul. I, too, am endorsing Paul Hornick for Madera County District Attorney.