A District Attorney Worthy of the Title : Of the 4 Prosecutors on Ballot, Incumbent Capizzi Most Deserves Voters’ Support

In these days of mounting concern over crime, the designation of “district attorney” after a candidate’s name on the ballot is likely to be considered pure political gold.

When residents go to the polls June 5 and look at their ballot for Orange County district attorney, they will find four candidates, all carrying that rich designation of “district attorney” in some form after their name.

There may be some confusion about what each title actually means, but there should be no confusion over which candidate to elect. We urge voters to retain Mike Capizzi as Orange County’s district attorney.

Capizzi, designated as “Appointed Orange County District Attorney” on the ballot, was named to the post by the County Board of Supervisors last Jan. 2. He was appointed to replace former Dist. Atty. Cecil Hicks, who accepted a seat on the county’s Superior Court bench. He is completing Hicks’ unexpired term that ends in January.

Capizzi was Hicks’ chief assistant and had his support for the top post. Now, in his effort to win his own four-year term, Capizzi has strong support from many areas of the community, including most police chiefs, major law enforcement organizations, elected officials, labor unions and the association of deputies in the district attorney’s office. His challenge, however, is coming from three other people in his office, which explains all those designations on the ballot.

Although the district attorney’s office has not been as aggressive as we’d like in handling last year’s still-pending poll guard case involving the election of Assemblyman Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove), it still carries a tough reputation for dealing with political shenanigans. It earned that renown in the 1970s when it prosecuted more than 40 Orange County political figures, including three county supervisors and a congressman.

Capizzi was instrumental in those successful indictments. He has proven himself as a prosecutor. But the large, urban district attorney’s office has many able prosecutors. What it also needs is an able administrator. With his 26 years of standout service in the office, ranging from a starting deputy to second in command, Capizzi has proven himself to be that too.

Of the four prosecutors on the ballot, Mike Capizzi is the most qualified. He is the right person in the right place at the right time. He was appointed to the job in January. On June 5, voters should elect him district attorney.