Gil Garcetti

* Perhaps Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti will be reelected, but not with my vote (“Speak Up, Mr. D.A.,” editorial, Jan. 11). First he ducks out of debating his opponents because, as Bill Carrick said, “People heckled Gil with a lot off-the-wall questions” in previous debates. What’s the matter--Gil can’t stand the heat? That’s what politics is supposed to be about.

Next we hear of the case where one of his deputies, John Asari, and another prosecutor were ignorant of Courtney’s Law when they prosecuted Johnny Castro, a repeat drunk driver, for the killing of another human being while driving under the influence (Jan. 11). Roger Gunson of Garcetti’s staff admits that lawyers don’t always look up the statute when they file a case; he said, “We file 60,000 cases a year and after you’ve filed so many you are so aware of [the law] there’s no reason to go back to it.”

What a lame excuse for ignorance. Obviously in this instance Asari and the other prosecutor were not aware of the law, and one wonders just how many more mistakes have resulted in justice being poorly served. Does Garcetti have the guts to answer that question?

LEO WEILMANN

Woodland Hills

* I read with horror about Castro, a man with eight prior drunk-driving convictions and a history of other unlawful behavior, killing a young man while driving drunk again. This man should get the death penalty, nothing less. The district attorney who botched this case should be dismissed and the judge should be ashamed of herself.

In three years Castro will be back on the streets. Who will be his next victim?

JEFF GREENBERG

Los Angeles