Time to Drop Rubino Case

* The district attorney appears to be on the verge of dissipating our tax dollars.

I watched the ill-fated and ill-conceived trial of Ron Rubino. It went about the way one would expect of a witch hunt. A lot of our dollars were wasted on this hapless prosecution, a popular and respected family has been forced to the brink of financial ruin, and now the publicity-hungry district attorney’s office wants to try again. This in spite of the fact that three-fourths of the jurors voted resolutely for acquittal. What a waste of our time and money.

Rubino did not enrich himself. He simply did his job. There is no indication that he violated any laws. What is to be gained by a new trial? More plundering of our treasury to support another exercise in futility (there is no case here), more grief for the Rubinos and no potential gain for the county. Isn’t it time for us to get beyond this mess?

If Dist. Atty. Michael Capizzi wants to run for higher office, so be it. But let him generate his own funds through the solicitation process, and purchase his advertising time the way other politicians do. It is inappropriate for him to further his personal agenda on our backs.

PETER C. PALLETTE

Newport Beach

* Regarding Supervisor Roger R. Stanton’s criticism of Dist. Atty. Michael R. Capizzi’s handling of the civil and criminal cases stemming form Orange County’s bankruptcy, and Stanton’s calling for a financial audit of Capizzi’s office, I can only wonder why Stanton didn’t call for a financial audit sometime before December 1994.

CECIL LOTIEF

Irvine

* Rubino was acting only in his role as a public official, and was not involved in any conspiracy to defraud county investors. (Apparently nine of the 12 jurors from his recent trial felt the same.)

Instead of throwing good county dollars after bad, Capizzi’s office [should] use common sense and put an end to the persecution of Rubino.

KEITH C. HALL

Newport Beach

* Wake up and smell public opinion, Mr. Capizzi. A 9 to 3 verdict in favor of acquittal tells us something.

LOUISE PHIPPS CRANDALL

Newport Coast

* As a resident of Orange County since 1952 and an Orange County business leader for over 25 years, I disagree with Capizzi’s decision regarding the retrial of Ron Rubino.

I have read with interest Capizzi’s comments to the press and understand his perspective as a prosecutor. It is the percentages that have influenced his thinking, as his department tends to win 90% of the cases that it pursues. It is difficult to fathom the logic of spending millions of taxpayer dollars to retry a case that was unsuccessful by a 3-9 margin. The percentage of his achieving a 12-0 verdict will be more like 10%, while trying the same case in front of the same judge. I also read various juror responses to the case and was impressed with the candor of the jurors.

Rubino was a loyal mid-level county employee, who continues to generate much public support. Continuing to pursue Rubino looks political and is a mistake. A second loss to the prosecution on this case will have an adverse effect on the upcoming trials of higher level individuals.

As a board member of the Orange County Performing Arts Center, UC Irvine and South Coast Repertory, I am painfully aware of the financial needs of the community. It is unfortunate that the district attorney has chosen to retry and waste the public’s money.

I do hope that Capizzi will reconsider his initial decision.

THOMAS E. TUCKER

Corona del Mar

Editor’s note: A Sept. 22 letter from a former Orange County grand juror in Huntington Beach inadvertently dropped the writer’s name. The author was Charles C. Bennett.