Building Relations Pays Off : Cooperation: San Diego County prosecutors have found that having a liaison with the police department creates a bond that helps make for stronger cases.

When San Diego County Dist. Atty. Paul J. Pfingst sought to replace Mike Carleton, a deputy district attorney who had been the agency’s liaison to the San Diego Police Department since 1981, Pfingst was momentarily stumped as to his next move.

Then it became clear what he needed to do.

“Mike Carleton is a tough guy to replace,” Pfingst said. “He set the standard by which all must be judged. You don’t improve on a Mike Carleton. What you do is create three of him.”

After promoting Carleton to head up the East San Diego County district attorney’s office, Pfingst assigned three senior attorneys to do the same liaison work that Carleton had performed alone.

Like his predecessor, Edwin L. Miller, who first tapped Carleton for liaison work, Pfingst said he knows the value of a good working relationship with the police, and realizes the strength of that relationship can make or break cases.

“Police want someone they can deal with over time so they know what criteria is needed when they’re bring a criminal case over for filing,” Pfingst said.

“When officers called on Mike Carleton, they knew they were talking to a highly competent, experienced attorney with a steady hand on the tiller.”

It may be just one reason why San Diego County, which spends roughly $90 million a year less than Orange County on its criminal justice system, has met with far greater success in securing felony convictions and putting convicted felons in prison.

“We want our attorneys to build up personal credibility with every department,” said Pfingst, who added that the three attorneys would also service every police agency in the county, as well as the regional narcotics task force.

“We have a cohesive law enforcement team down here and we have built up relationships over time. You want to have a consistency, a continuity, and to make sure that the level of advice is constant. We’ve made some of our attorneys serve as legal advisers to police departments.”

Carleton was the first such legal adviser, having become the first deputy district attorney in California to establish an office within a police department for the sole purpose of counseling the police.

On call 24 hours a day, Carleton became a human sounding board for all types of legal issues that cops face every day: when to issue a felony; how to write a search warrant affidavit; what elements are needed from the police to make a case stronger; what should be handed over to the city attorney’s office for misdemeanor prosecution.

Carleton had been a fixture at the morning briefings at the San Diego Police Department’s seven area stations, choosing a different location each day to answer questions about cases and give updates about changes in the law that might have some impact on how officers do their jobs.

He also produced a videotape on legal issues and distributed it to all departments in the county.

Every officer in San Diego County seemed aware of Carleton and his ability to figure out how to produce the best case possible.

“I was there when the case began and helped them build the case,” he said. “That way, we could eliminate the problems before they begin. After the case is already done, it’s too late.”

The Carleton experiment has been so successful that the California District Attorneys Assn. has urged other district attorneys’ offices to do the same.

Carleton’s happiness over his promotion to oversee the East San Diego operation in El Cajon was tinged with some regret at having to leave his old job.

“I loved doing what I was doing,” he said. “But I guess I should be flattered. It took three guys to replace me.”