Should Rackauckas Be Praised or Scorned?

Re “Outside Inquiry of D.A. Ordered,” June 29:

I never cease to be amazed at the lengths to which entrenched government bureaucrats will go to trash someone trying to clean things up.

Tony Rackauckas was elected in 1998 with a mandate to toss out the corrupt and abusive members of the Capizzi-Wade administration. Rackauckas did that, and now, a grand jury, hijacked by those same people, issues a self-righteous (and taxpayer-funded) “report” condemning him for his efforts.

Rackauckas should be praised, not scorned. This grand jury report tells me one thing: Rackauckas did exactly what we elected him to do--clean house. That’s the thing Wade and his cronies could never came to terms with. Fortunately, the voters did it for him in March, by crushing his insidious and laughable candidacy for D.A.

Marcie Tripp

Rancho Santa Margarita

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Re “Rackauckas: Criticism Is Driven by Politics,” June 27:

No doubt, these are serious and depressing times. It is good to know that we can always look to the newspaper for a smile or even a good belly laugh.

Tony Rackauckas, our esteemed district attorney who has come up just short of being indicted by the county grand jury, says: “None of this should undermine the public’s trust.” Tony Rackauckas discussing the public’s trust? There’s a laugh. Rackauckas hasn’t a clue to what the term means.

The district attorney claims he was elected “to bring far-reaching change.” That has happened. Never before has the sitting district attorney pandered to so many of his political friends, including Ambassador George Argyros and the rest, while letting the integrity of his office sink so low.

He was a mediocre judge. If he were only a mediocre district attorney, we’d settle for that. God knows, Orange County has had plenty of those. His actions in office tear the heart out of what should be the pristine integrity of the office.

The grand jury at least had the guts to stand up and say that his behavior is outrageous, that something should be done. Now, will any of the politicians busy issuing press releases decrying the 9th Circuit’s “Pledge of Allegiance” ruling have the guts to follow through on the grand jury report and get this guy out of office?

Bill Gable

Laguna Beach

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With the long-awaited county grand jury report now released, the matter now comes before the county Board of Supervisors. There is no doubt that the report is unusual, and indicates a problem in the district attorney’s office. Is Orange County in reality more like Hazard County?

William A. Wetzel

Orange

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Criminals who are indicted by a county grand jury generally complain that the district attorney’s office controls the jury. The district attorney usually praises the panel as a group of impartial citizens. Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas is rightfully criticized by the county grand jury and he cries that the panel is “politically motivated.” Does Rackauckas have the mind-set of a criminal?

Ralph Lamb

Yorba Linda