Mike Smith - My Word

Cross posted from www.mikesmithforcongress.com.

State Attorney Lawson Lamar's prosecution of corrupt officials has been a wakeup call for Central Florida. Elected officials who abuse our tax dollars and trust do lasting damage to our communities, and I am glad that Mr. Lamar is holding them accountable. But unfortunately his work is the exception and not the rule. Our judicial system is underfunded and overworked, which causes white collar criminals and unethical politicians to assume that their crimes will go unpunished. Too often they are right.

Mr. Lamar and our court system deserve some back-up. We hear again and again about crimes committed by suspects who have been arrested multiple times and are out on bond. While working as a State Attorney I prosecuted drug-dealers and child predators, and I know how important it is to keep dangerous criminals off our streets. But I also know that too many of them are slipping through the cracks because prosecutors, probation officers, judges, and court personnel are spread thin. It is crucial that we have enough police to arrest criminals, and equally crucial that we have enough attorneys to prosecute them.

I support legislation to ensure that attorneys like Mr. Lamar can hire and retain more prosecutors. Properly funding both our police department and court system will make Central Florida safer for our families.

Mike Smith is a former State Prosecutor and was specially appointed as a Felony Domestic Violence Prosecutor.