Grant County PowerNet

Currently, there is a heated political race going on for ownership of the position of Grant County Prosecutor. The primaries are over and the two candidates who were left standing after the primary ballots were counted are Angus Lee, currently serving as Grant County Prosecutor, and Albert Lin, who is currently serving as the Deputy County Prosecutor.

<---- Oil and Water ---->

Thrown into the mix is another Grant County Deputy Prosecutor who appears to have taken on the role of attack dog. He is appropriately named, Teddy Chow. He has come out for Albert Lin and has been busy taking Angus Lee to task for not being truthful about an auto wreck incident involving a local judge. Lee denies the allegation of being untruthful. Chow is also accusing Lee of having a temper, being a bully and of calling him an “obscene name” in the office workplace. It appears that Mr. Chow does not like Angus Lee and does not want to work for him. My guess is that if Angus is elected we will be seeing Mr. Chow leaving the Prosecutor’s employ. Why would someone stay and work for someone whom they do not like or respect?

Teddy Chow’s Statement Concerning Angus Lee and the Incident:

“My name is Teddy Chow, and I have been a deputy prosecutor in the Grant County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office since 2001. I have just heard about the statement of Derek Angus Lee made on or about October 13, 2009 while campaigning for the upcoming elections.

Specifically, I am referring to the statements I see quoted in the Columbia Basin Herald, page A12 of the October 15, 2009 edition, stating “My office has never received any information of any kind, regarding what you are talking about. If we receive any information from law enforcement that there is probable cause for a crime, we prosecute it, regardless of who it is.”

This statement is unquestionably false.

As a lawyer, I have a duty to adhere to the oath I took when I became an attorney to uphold and enforce the laws of this country, and this state. Washington’s Rules of Professional Conduct prohibit me from taking part in any conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice, or involves deceit or misrepresentation. In addition, the rules state that a lawyer should report misconduct of another lawyer when that lawyer’s conduct raises a substantial question about that lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer.

On the same day that Judge Fitterer was allegedly involved in an accident, June 5, 2009, was returning from a conference in Leavenworth. I learned about the accident mentioned. When I arrived back at the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office in Ephrata, Washington, I spoke with D. Angus Lee and asked if he had heard what happened.

Mr. Lee made it clear to me and the two or three deputy prosecuting attorneys I was with that we were not to discuss the judge’s case, and that we were to keep it very quiet. This was stated the same afternoon that the accident happened, so Mr. Lee not only knew about it, but he knew about it almost instantly.

The charging face sheet was assigned to me on August 31. 2009. It was brought to my secretary by no later than September 1, 2009.

On October 15, 2009, after former state Senator Harold Hochstatter asked Angus Lee specifically about this at the forum on Tuesday (October 13, 2009), and this exchange appeared in a front page story of the Columbia Basin Herald, Angus Lee then called my cell number (at 12:57 p.m. of October 15, 2009) and insisted that I come into his office. He was apparently angry that others knew about the pending charge/no charge decision to be made regarding the Judge. Angus raised his voice and yelled at me during our conversation. He stated, “You need to tell me exactly what happened.” and to name every person I spoke with regarding this matter in writing. I mentioned to Angus that the only reason he was doing this was political, and that was the sole reason he was giving attention to this matter.

Prior to my leaving Mr. Lee’s office this afternoon, he stated that “Come January” he would make decisions regarding budget, and that I better be careful. I feel that he was implying that my job was at risk regarding this matter, and at this time, I expect to be fired.

In any regard, the statement to the public, and to our former senator was dishonest, and intentionally so. I do not wish to participate in covering up the handling of a case, when such handling lacked integrity. In addition, I will not ratify and support a statement that our office had “never received any information of any kind, regarding what you are talking about.”

I consider this statement to be in the best interests of the safety of Grant County.

Teddy Chow, Grant County Deputy Prosecutor”

Meanwhile, three local attorneys, Robert Schiffner, Randy Fair and Garth Dano have also come out against Lee. They are wondering if his arrest and conviction for underage drinking and driving twelve years ago will make him soft on drunk drivers. The way the story goes, twenty-year old college student, D. Angus Lee, was arrested in Seattle (one time) for driving while intoxicated during an Apple Cup weekend in Seattle. He was convicted and paid a financial fine and attended the mandatory drunk driving education classes.

Angus says he was stupid, made a bad mistake and it has never happened again. Recently he submitted a legal request to the courts asking them to consider his complete and penitent response to their discipline and asked that the incident be legally expunging from his record. This is not an unusual thing for people to do. And it is perfectly legal and reasonable. The incident occurred over twelve years ago and there has been no repeat. Since that time, Angus completed his education, became a Marine Corp officer and served in a combat zone in Iraq. If you wish to read his bio sketch, it is here: Angus Lee Bio

So what does it all mean? I don’t know. Who is the best candidate for County Prosecutor? I have no idea.

Maybe some questions which need to be answered are these:

Who is the most trustworthy?

Who is the most honest?

Which of the candidates is the most responsible?

Does a drunk driving conviction when you are twenty-years old mean that you will be softer or harder on drunk drivers? Can anyone tell from the information given? I cannot.

Maybe it would help all of us if all of the attorneys in Grant County would write into the paper and tell why they liked or disliked Angus or Albert and tell us who they wanted for Prosecutor and why they wanted their choice?

Which candidate is a better manager of people and resources?

Which one has more “command” time in dealing with groups of people?

Which one is the better communicator?

Which one functions best under stress?

Which one is more “approachable” or more accessible?

Which one is a workaholic?

Which one is a county clock watcher/coffee cup holder?

Which one can be bought and sold?

How about actual productivity and getting work completed?

Which one gets more done and done correctly?

Which one is a leader and which one is a better follower?

Does their past lives give us any clue about them?

Which one is tidy, which one is messy?

Which one is anal retentive about details?

Which one is a micro-manager and which one is a macro-manager?

Which candidate is a penny-pincher and which one is a money-spender?

Which one is a cry-baby and which on is a trooper?

Are any of them income tax cheaters?

Do they consistently drive over the speed limit on Highway 17 in the fifty-mile-an-hour zones like the deputy sheriffs?

I guess there are all sort of questions I would like to have answered. But the truth is most of us will never get them. We’ll just have to go to to the ballot box with a political sign telling us how to vote.

It will be interesting to see how it all turns out. Is there anything wrong with a boss having a temper, other than it can be unpleasant to have it focused upon you? I once worked with a man who had a ferocious temper, but over the years that I worked with him, I came to respect him greatly because he was the best at his job I had ever encountered. I came to understand that his temper was a tool he used to keep other things inline so that I could accomplish the things I needed to get done in my job. He actually made my job a lot easier because of his ferociousness and fastidious attention to daily details and procedures. Once he got me trained in the ways of the office and his ways, a painful process, we got along well and I still respect him today and would happily go back to work with him if the situation presented itself.

I must say one thing in defense of Mr. Lee. Anyone who makes through the Marine Corp is no lay-down wimp. Becoming a Marine and serving in that role in a combat situation has to be one of the most difficult things one can do. Angus not only did it, he did it well, and that actually counts quite a bit in my book. I think it shows that he is tough and that he is a survivor/finisher. It doesn’t surprise me that he may not be all silk gloves and handkerchiefs. Let’s get to the bottom of the honesty issue. If there is no substance to it, then I know who will get my vote. But I would like all of the facts before I make my decision.

Opinion,

Clint Bridges

Correction: When I originally wrote my comments above, I was under the impression that Angus Lee had been a Marine Corp Commissioned Officer. Today I learned that he was a Marine Non-Commissioned Officer and served with a Recon Unit in Iraq. He was wounded in the line of duty and was honorably discharged for his service to his country. He wasn’t a commissioned officer, but a Marine is a Marine, and that is nothing to disrepect.

written by Webmaster \\ tags: Albert, Angus, County, Grant, Lee, Lin, Political, Politics, Prosecutor, Races