Thank You Mendocino County! It's Official!

DISTRICT ATTORNEY Total Number of Precincts 247 Precincts Reporting 247 100.0 % Times Counted 32500/48614 66.9 % Total Votes 29128 C. DAVID EYSTER 15593 53.53% MEREDITH LINTOTT 13417 46.06% Write-in Votes 118 0.41%

Posted: November 23, 2010
As the surprises and the less-than-surprises of Election Night 2010 continue to sink in, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many Eyster4DA supporters who live in and are spread across Mendocino County. Running for public office has never been an easy thing, especially in a county the size of Mendocino, but your enthusiasm and support made it a lot easier for me.

It takes a lot of forward-thinking, community-minded voters coming together with a common goal to make for the successful campaign that I experienced. From Gualala to Covelo, Leggett to Hopland, and Ukiah to Fort Bragg/Mendocino, I am grateful for the advice, help, and enthusiasm that fueled my campaign everywhere I traveled. In addition to the many individuals who publicly and financially supported Eyster4DA and my positive message for change, I want to also thank the groups who stepped up to the plate and publicly announced to the electorate of Mendocino County their support for Eyster4DA.

To the members of the Mendocino County Farm Bureau, the North Coast Builders Exchange, the Fort Bragg Police Officers Association, SEIU Local 1021, the Mendocino County Deputy Sheriffs Association, and the Ukiah Police Officers Association, thank you! I also want to thank the local media outlets for covering the District Attorney race in a professional manner. Thank you to the Ukiah Daily Journal and the Anderson Valley Advertiser for investigating my background and experience and, in turn, endorsing my candidacy. Finally, to Barbara Newell and her folks; Chris Neary and the ever-capable Jennifer; Hal and Rosie Waganet; and others who worked closely with me, thank you for your hard work, thank you for positively promoting the Eyster message, and thank you for being good friends.

C. David Eyster

I trust what you see here leads you to the conclusion that I am the most qualified candidate to be Mendocino County's next District Attorney. There are a lot of materials included on the various pages of this site so please take your time to read through things. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. As District Attorney, I intend to have an "open door" policy as I value the right of media outlets, the public, the law enforcement agencies, and others to have sufficient information whenever possible to be able to understand why certain policies are in place and why my staff and I have made certain decisions.

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While my experience as a supervisor and courtroom trial attorney is hard to beat, I also have more experience than others for being responsible for "charging," the most important job in the District Attorney's Office. With the District Attorney serving as the gatekeeper to the criminal justice system, charging is the act of reviewing police reports that are submitted after an alleged crime has been investigated, considering the facts presented in the various reports, making a decision whether additional investigation is required, eliminating those cases with legal deficits, reviewing criminal records, and, after all of that, ultimately making a reasoned decision whether an individual suspect should be prosecuted and, if so, at what level. Performing this critical job requires a deep and abiding faith in -- and understanding of -- the rights provided all of us by our Constitutions, not to mention an excellent working knowledge of the California Evidence Code and the California Penal Code. In addition to my management and trial responsibilities,

Hiding the ball and backstabbing will not be tolerated.

I was honored to serve as the primary charging deputy for the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office for over eight years. I reviewed literally thousands of cases and made decisions that affected the lives of many, decisions for which I was always able to articulate the reasons for and why it was in the interests of justice. Unfortunately, this gatekeeper role is just one area where the current administration is failing.

I respect the right of all people to have fair and respectful treatment when they find themselves caught up in the criminal justice system. Respect and integrity are essential characteristics of a functional prosecutor's office. My staff and I will be honest with the public, victims and their families, our colleagues, and law enforcement. We need to also be honest with ourselves. Hiding the ball and backstabbing will not be tolerated. I will seek to foster a team approach in the District Attorney's Office by encouraging all prosecutors and staff to support the work of one another, an important aspect of professionalism often lacking these days. Finally, I pledge to do that which I did so well in the past -- I will use my background and experience to continue to work to improve the fairness, efficiency, and effectiveness of Mendocino County's District Attorney Office and the justice system we serve. My goal is that the citizens know that the District Attorney's Office is being vigilant and working hard to make Mendocino County a safe and just place to live and work.

Please be sure to vote Eyster for District Attorney on November 2nd.

C. David Eyster

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