Benching the D.A. to Restore the Good Tony

The former prosecutor was, by all accounts, a crackerjack judge. In one highly publicized case, he made the kind of ruling you’d expect only from the gutsiest and most principled of jurists: Not trusting key pieces of evidence in a murder trial, he tossed aside the jury’s guilty verdict and, on the day he was expected to sentence the defendant to life in prison, instead ordered a new trial.

Many other judges, even if they believed the jury had delivered a flawed verdict, would have let an appeals court do the dirty work on a murder case. But on that day in March 1997, Superior Court Judge Tony Rackauckas made the tough decision himself.

Whatever happened to that Tony Rackauckas?

How did he mutate into the Tony Rackauckas now occupying the Orange County district attorney’s chair, one who seemingly goes out of his way to appear petty and vindictive?

To be sure, Rackauckas, now in his second term, has his supporters.

He overwhelmingly won reelection in 2002. But so did Richard Nixon in 1972, just before he went completely nuts.

Rackauckas becomes more Nixonian with each passing month. Anyone seen G. Gordon Liddy lately? Has anyone swept Rackauckas’ office for recording devices?

Can anyone remember a local officeholder in modern times who’s brewed as much in-house turmoil?

Even for an office that breeds political dissent, his tenure has been marked by the kind of sniping, back-biting and outright vitriol that you’d expect only in Olympic competition.

But just when you thought he might be chastened by the bad publicity, he ups the ante. Just like Nixon. I think he’s starting to like it. His next campaign slogan might be: “I’ll show the bleeps.”

His latest Nixon moment came this week when it was revealed he’s ordered his prosecutors not to try any cases before new court Commissioner Christopher Evans, a Rackauckas supporter-turned-critic.

Evans, appointed to his new job by other Orange County judges, starts hearing cases next month. Obviously, Rackauckas is implying that Evans wouldn’t rule fairly, although his professional background was as a prosecutor.

Rackauckas is forcing his attorneys to shun Evans, a move so petty and antithetical to the spirit of the system that it makes you wonder if he reads himself to sleep at night with Nixon’s White House transcripts.

What’s amazing is how a good judge lost his compass.

Nixon’s lieges were as hard-nosed and vengeful as he was and helped sink him.

Does anyone with a sense of proportion ever whisper in Tony’s ear?

The bill of particulars against him has been cited before.

He’s been sideways with a county grand jury, the state attorney general, the county auditor and a number of former top deputies.

And when it comes to office politics, no one plays rougher than Rackauckas.

He’s been sued by several former colleagues, including his media spokeswoman.

He’s been accused of cronyism and vendettas -- the twin hallmarks of cynical management.

He’s won some legal battles with former employees, but he’s never adequately explained why he seems to have so many.

Last week, he was ordered to reinstate a former deputy whom he had demoted. Other cases are pending.

What to do?

We need to find a job that plays to his Good Tony and not his Bad Tony.

A job where he just reads the law and doesn’t have to run an office.

Does he belong ... back on the bench?

Dana Parsons’ column appears Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. He can be reached at (714) 966-7821 or at dana.parsons@latimes.com. An archive of his recent columns is at www.latimes.com/parsons.