Law hopefuls talk priorities
Daily Progress
By Rob Seal / rseal@dailyprogress.com | 978-7265
October 5, 2007
The challenger for Albemarle County commonwealth's attorney attacked the incumbent's competency Thursday, while he, in turn, stood by his record and cited numerous endorsements from the law-enforcement community.
The comments came during a forum for candidates seeking Albemarle County's top elected law-enforcement positions. Sheriff hopefuls Larry Claytor and J.E. "Chip" Harding and incumbent Commonwealth's Attorney Jim Camblos and challenger Denise Lunsford fielded questions from the League of Women Voters and the audience.
Claytor, a Democrat, and Harding, a Republican, are seeking the seat of outgoing Sheriff Edgar S. Robb.
Camblos, a Republican, is running for his fifth term and is facing opposition for the first time since 1995 in the form of Democrat defense lawyer Lunsford.
Camblos said his highest priorities include combating underage drinking, preventing victimization of the elderly and prosecuting online sexual predators.
His opponent said she would work to restore the "image and effectiveness of this office," and that she would skillfully prosecute cases.
"The commonwealth's attorney is not doing this competently or effectively," she said.
In response, Camblos stressed several times a commitment to stay positive, and did not reply to Lunsford's allegations of inconsistent prosecutions.
"I think I'm fair, and I think my office is fair," he said.
Camblos added that his experience and the endorsement of about 100 officers speak to his credit.
"There are issues with the commonwealth's attorney's office and it's not negative to point out what those issues are," Lunsford said.
The candidates for sheriff cited similar pedigrees: Both have long experience in local law enforcement, both said they were heavily involved in the development of DNA as a law-enforcement tool, and both said they would support increased educational programming at the jail to reduce recidivism.
Claytor, a longtime officer in the county police and former sheriff's deputy, said his experience in Albemarle gives him an advantage.
Claytor also said he would work to make sure victims are well treated when in court to testify.
"They need to feel safe and secure when they get into the courtroom," he said.
Harding, who is a captain in the city police force and head of the department's investigative unit, said he wants to create a volunteer-based system in which reserve deputies would work to catch online predators.
Claytor, who is also the president of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad, said he would focus on the core mission of the office: courtroom security, prisoner transport and service of civil papers.
His Republican opponent said his experience in overseeing large-scale investigations would serve him well.
"If you want to be in a CEO position, you have to have experience in the field," Harding said.
