Gantt Plays Hardball on Public Defender

Is anyone else getting tired of the faux contoversey about picking a new Public Defender?

Legislature President Wayne Zyra set out to create a fairly bi-partisan committee to screen PD candidates. David Gantt apparently smelled an opportunity to flex his political muscles and pander to his constituents at the same time.

Gantt has made totally unsubstantiated claims that GOP Chaiman Steve Minarik had a PD replacement wired. He then accused Zyra of trying to "set-up" a committee that would "rubber-stamp" Minarik's choice.

As was to be expected, the D&C jumped in and asked "why the process used to pick the outgoing PD, Ed Nowak, was not being used again"? I've heard that refrain from many quarters. Do any of these people know how it was done 33 years ago? I doubt it, because its my understanding that there was a community panel (similar to the one Zyra tried to set up) that screened candidates and recommended a certain number of candidates to a 5 member committee of County Legislators, who then made final recommendations to the entire Legislature. That set up reflects the fact that it is the Legislature that has the authority and the responsibility to make the pick.

Lucy at Mustard Street has a great post with video on the latest clash between Mr. Gantt and the County Leg. I think those GOP legislators were quite lame for not letting him get arrested for disobeying a lawful order to leave, as well as for pushing past a Sheriff's Deputy. She also has a take on a possible reason why the Monroe County Bar Association did its about-face on participation in the Zyra panel:

"Maybe Gantt brought Smith {the Bar Assoc. President} to heel by threatening to stop funding the Bar’s pet project – the Campaign for Legal Justice. Gantt funneled $150,000 of State Assembly pork to this organization. Tom Smith is a member of its board."

If true, it really makes me proud to be a member of the local bar.

Meanwhile Kudos to Philbrick and Lucy at Mustard Street. They have been all over this issue and are looking at it from a very different perspective than all of the "usual suspects" like the D&C, the City Newspaper, and the "progressive" blogs.