Editorial: Political prosecution in Nutting case
El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson and county Supervisor Ray Nutting have long been adversaries.
Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the May 9, 2014, Sacramento Bee.
What does a political prosecution look like? Depending on your perspective, it might look like a peace protester thrown in jail for marching in the street. Or an evangelical Christian convicted of trespassing at an abortion clinic. Even the impeachment of a president for lying about cheating on his wife.
It also could look like Ray Nutting. Though the conservative four-term El Dorado County supervisor and timber rancher probably wouldn’t enjoy the comparison, he is on trial for transgressions so common among elected officials that they are usually dispatched with a slap on the wrist and a fine.
His real crime appears to be occupying the wrong side of a political divide in this county – one that has deepened with the overzealous and politically motivated prosecution by District Attorney Vern Pierson. The three-week trial has resulted in untold costs to the defendant – whose political career has been injured, perhaps fatally – the county, the jurors, the taxpayers and even the DA’s own credibility. No one is going to win here, no matter the ultimate verdict.
The Sac Bee goes along with the “mistake” and “ignorance” of law Nutting defense. Says he is no worse then other politicians. And, then they wonder why Congress has a 13% approval rating and why we have such a disconnect between normal people and elected people.
OMG nuttcase is nothing more than a crooked politician that took government money even when he is openly against the government. He started illegal fires that cost the state of california to control and he has lied to the people he is supposto represent, along with lying to a judge and the jury. I truly hope he is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and required to pay all costs to the federal government, the state of california, and he has years in jail or picking up dog poo p in a dog park for many years to come. That would make my day…
I don’t know how the charges against Nutting are going to play out, but no matter what, he is guilty of a couple of things:
Being careless with fire, on more than one occasion.
Using his position to feather his own financial well being.
Whether these are legally actionable or not I have no idea, but if all he gets is to find his political career is over, that would be absolutely fine with me.
We do not need this kind of ongoing distraction in the supervisors arena.
I also don’t understand the willingness of various County employees to fork over loans etc to make his bail. As a significant property holder, is not his equity there enough for a bail bondsman to put up bail? Oh wait, I forgot…there was a bail bondsman in the mess who had a reason he couldn’t do it. Great.
Try another one…they are plentiful.
The DA’s office also seems inclined to pursue more than a few questionably significant infractions against other citizens, which cost the county a ton of money.
Maybe the grand jury could look into this and see if this is a smokescreen to cover up something ol’ Vern doesn’t want run up the flag pole.
Or maybe he is just building his prosecution record to qualify for a better job someplace else, and the taxpayer is footing the bill.
The county seems to be a real snakepit. Replace all elected officials. At least the new guys/gals, even if cut from the same cloth, would take a few years to develope the connections and loyalties it takes to be so slithery. And by then maybe they would be replaced with another group.
Honesty and Integrity might rise slowly over time.
” A Country Boy that happens to be a POLITICAN ” said his attorney way back.
Probably the most bogus story to come out of the Bee in years, it is 100% false in all respects. The reporter is dreaming of conspiracies that don’t exist and writes as if they have no clue. Political corruption is what Nutting is being charged with and the charges have been approved from the state level prosecutors, the out of area judge, and by the juries who have indicted him and the one deciding his fate. The Bee is a joke in this instance.