Bamieh, Totten in a Calm Face-Off

Questions over who is best qualified to serve as Ventura County’s next district attorney dominated a public forum Saturday in Thousand Oaks between candidates Ron Bamieh and Greg Totten.

The two rivals, locked in a bitter and costly campaign to replace retiring Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury, squared off in front of several dozen residents at the Grant R. Brimhall Public Library.

Totten, 47, said his two decades as a prosecutor and experience as the No. 2 man in the office, with a budget of $47million and a 600-member staff, make him the best choice for the county’s top law enforcement post.

“I have been in leadership positions for 15 years,” said Totten, who has served the past three years as chief assistant district attorney. “This is a great office and we live in the safest county west of the Mississippi and I have played an important role in that.”

Totten was also quick to note he has the endorsement of Bradbury, Sheriff Bob Brooks and every police chief in the county. Last week he also received the support of the Ventura County Prosecutors Assn.

But Bamieh, 36, a senior deputy district attorney, said voters should decide who is the county’s next district attorney, and not big-name endorsements from people such as Bradbury, first elected to the job in 1978.

Bamieh, who has worked in the district attorney’s office since 1993, said the office has become bloated with prosecutors who rarely step inside a courtroom. Painting himself as an outsider willing to buck the status quo, Bamieh said he will trim administrative costs by having more prosecutors trying cases.

“There are enough prosecutors in our office,” Bamieh said when asked by an audience member about staffing. “Our office is too heavily weighted down on the administrative level.”

Bamieh said he would assign prosecutors to outlying cities and focus more on prosecuting misdemeanor crimes as a way to prevent more serious offenses.

In recent weeks the candidates have argued over how best to treat defendants in domestic violence cases, the accuracy of their respective trial records and the amount of time each has spent in a courtroom.

On Wednesday Totten called a news conference to accuse Bamieh of running misleading campaign adds on Totten’s trial experience. Bamieh quickly shot back, contending the accusation was a sure sign Totten’s campaign had become desperate.

But no such acrimony was present during Saturday’s debate. The candidates shook hands warmly and did not level any attacks during the one-hour forum, moderated by Herbert E. Gooch, chairman of the political science department at Cal Lutheran University.

During the debate, both candidates were asked how long they would like to serve as district attorney.Totten said he supported term limits for legislators but not for district attorney, “because you don’t want your D.A. to be a politician.”

Bamieh said he supported term limits and would only run for reelection twice.

“I don’t want to retire as the district attorney,” Bamieh said. “I don’t believe it’s healthy to be the D.A. for 25 years.”