DEAR EDITOR:

I have read recent editorials about how the Mahoning County prosecutor’s role is to put criminals in jail and I agree that is the primary responsibility of the prosecutor. Others apparently did not because the appointments made by the Mahoning County commissioners and later the Democratic Party, upon Mr. Gains’s retirement, selected someone who has virtually no criminal law experience. Two people submitted letters of interest in the position to the commissioners. Lynn Maro, who was an assistant prosecutor for four years, was one of the interested parties. Lynn has run her own practice for nearly 30 years and has extensive experience in civil and criminal litigation. She has been trying civil and criminal cases for 33 years, yet the commissioners and the Democratic Party chose Mr. Gains’s handpicked replacement. The voters this coming November have a chance to correct that mistake.

Justice is never served unless we have someone in each position in the justice system. The writer of the recent letters seemed to have forgotten a critical point: Paul Gains was a criminal defense attorney when he ran for prosecutor. He defended individuals charged with all levels of criminal conduct, from death penalty cases to minor offenses. In fact, some of our toughest judges and prosecutors were criminal defense attorneys.

The writer also takes issue with contributions to the Maro for prosecutor campaign from Columbiana County residents. There is a portion of Mahoning County that has Columbiana mailing addresses, and several donors referred to live in Mahoning County. We all have friends, family and colleagues who live out of the county and there is nothing improper or nefarious about contributions from these people. I’m sure our current prosecutor must agree because her campaign finance report reflects a similar percentage of out-of-county contributors.

Not only does everyone deserve a defense, but the citizens of Mahoning County deserve a prosecutor who knows criminal law and who knows where improvements in current prosecution practices must be made.

I will vote for experience and integrity any day, every day.

J. R. CLEMENT

Campbell