PORT TOWNSEND — Before he takes office as Jefferson County prosecuting attorney, Michael Haas plans to examine the office’s current cases.
“My first priority will be to review the most serious cases that are likely to continue, especially those that could end up in the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court,” said Haas, 53.
Haas unseated incumbent Scott Rosekrans with 7,781 votes, or 61.90 percent, over Rosekrans’ 4,678 votes, or 37.22 percent.
“I will then meet with the new sheriff and [Port Townsend Police Chief] Conner Daily to develop communication and cooperative programs between the police and the prosecutor,” Haas said.
The prosecuting attorney race was one of four that showed clear victories in the first count of general election ballots Tuesday night.
Contests for Jefferson County commissioner, public utility district commissioner and District Court judge also had decisive outcomes in the initial count.
After a second count Wednesday, the Jefferson County Auditor’s Office had counted 15,680 votes out of 22,867 cast, a 68.57 percent voter turnout.
About 350 votes are outstanding, according to Betty Johnson, Jefferson County election supervisor.
The next count will be either today or Friday, she said.
Haas said he will resign from his private practice with attorney Sam Ramirez.
Rosekrans, 62, is in Port Orchard for the fourth trial of Michael J. Pierce, 39, on charges from the 2009 murders of Pat and Janice Yarr of Quilcene.
“Right now, my number one priority is getting another conviction in Pierce, and I’ll worry about Scott Rosekrans later,” said the prosecuting attorney, who had sought a second four-year term.
Pierce’s 2010 conviction was overturned by the state Court of Appeals. Two retrials ended in mistrials.
The state appellate court ruled that Pierce’s constitutional rights were denied after his arrest and that Rosekrans’ closing argument represented prosecutorial misconduct.
The Washington State Bar Association later said it could not find that Rosekrans had committed an ethical violation for speculating during closing arguments what the Yarrs and Pierce were thinking during the night of the murders.
Rosekrans said Haas turned the Pierce case into a political issue.
“It wasn’t an issue for me, but in all the forums, that’s all my opponent wanted to talk about,” Rosekrans said.
“We didn’t talk about the issues as much as I would have liked, like mental health court and drug court and the budget and doing more with less.”
Haas said it was Rosekrans who first brought up the issue in a June candidate forum, at a time when Haas had had no intention of bringing up the topic.
However, Haas said many voters told him that Rosekrans’ handling of the case affected their vote.
Rosekrans said his options are open, “except I’m really not too interested in going into private practice again.”
He mentioned putting in for the public defender’s contract when it is up at the end of the year or running for Superior Court in two years, “or I could just ride off into the sunset.
“I’ve had a job since I was 16 years old, and I always land on my feet,” he said.
Board of Commissioners
“I’m in the process of information-gathering and listening,” said retired nurse Kathleen Kler, 64, who defeated retired heavy-equipment operator Dan Toepper, 53, in the District 3 Jefferson County commissioner’s race.
“I have a pile of reading to do in order to catch up on the issues such as marijuana zoning and the Navy’s testing procedures.”
Kler is a Democrat, as are the other two commissioners, but this doesn’t mean people can make assumptions about her point of view.
“I would hope both the other commissioners and the public will respect how I make decisions,” she said.
“I can’t foretell what I may or may not be in agreement with, as I haven’t studied all the issues, but I am feeling no pressure from any source, and my vote won’t be anything but my own.”
After a second count Wednesday, Kler maintained her lead over Toepper.
She had 8,003 votes, or 57.03 percent, over his 5,992 votes, or 42.70.
Public Utility District
Kenneth Collins, 68, said Wednesday that at his first Jefferson County Public Utility District meeting Jan. 6, he will move that commission meetings be recorded.
That is “so that anyone in the public who wants to know how they are being represented can find out,” he said, adding that the commission had previously defeated a similar motion.
Collins, 68, co-owner with his wife, Judith, of Marrowstone Vineyards, defeated Tony De Leo, 65, a Jefferson Healthcare hospital commissioner, for the District 2 seat on the PUD commission.
Incumbent Ken McMillen failed to advance to the general election from the Aug. 5 primary.
After Wednesday’s second count, Collins, of Nordland, had 6,961 votes, or 55.48 percent, to Port Hadlock resident De Leo’s 5,511 votes, or 43.92 percent.
“My intention is in general to try to move the PUD toward greater professionalization,” Collins said.
He also wants to address customer service issues and consider lowering rates for poverty-level customers, a cause that resonated among voters, he said.
District Court Judge
Jefferson County District Court Judge Jill Landes, 64, doesn’t plan major changes after voters retained her for a third four-year term.
“I think the court is running well and want to continue that,” she said.
“I would like to expand mental health court to treat PTSD for veterans and would like to move toward creating a paperless court, although that takes time, money and the cooperation of several different agencies.”
Landes won 7,152 votes, or 54.46 percent, to challenger Cheryl Potebnya’s 5,920 votes, or 45.08 percent.
Potebnya is a 62-year-old attorney who lives in Port Ludlow.
________
Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
