LBPOST.com: City Prosecutor Race Takes A Controversial Turn

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City Prosecutor Race Takes A Controversial Turn

by Ryan ZumMallen | Long Beach News | 01.28.10 |

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3:30pm | In the April race for Long Beach City Prosecutor, one candidate is alleging that the other is "misleading" voters with his professional description.

Assistant City Prosecutor Timothy O'Reilly issued a press release today challenging the professional description of his opponent, Doug Haubert, who lists himself as "City Attorney/Prosecutor" on the ballot. O'Reilly believes that the term does not properly describe Haubert's current occupation.

Haubert is a former Long Beach Deputy City Prosecutor and currently works for an independent law firm, Aleshire & Winder, LLP that provides attorneys to serve as City Prosecutor for client cities. Haubert's professional bio says that he has served as the City Prosecutor for nine cities including Cypress, Signal Hill and Palos Verdes Estates.

O'Reilly's press release states that City Clerk Larry Herrera said the ballot designation will not be changed unless the issue is challenged in court.

Haubert could not be reached for comment.

The full press release is below:

Long Beach, January 27, 2010: Assistant City Prosecutor, Timothy O�Reilly, filed a letter challenging the ballot designation of his opponent for the Long Beach City Prosecutor�s office on Wednesday. The challenge filed with the City Clerk alleges that the ballot designation requested by candidate Doug Haubert as �City Attorney/prosecutor� is inaccurate and misleading to voters as to the candidate�s real credentials. The ballot designation is the title that accompanies a candidate�s name on a voter�s ballot. California law requires that the ballot designation be a description of a candidate�s principal occupation, vocation, or profession, within the past year.

�He claims his principle occupation is as a �City Attorney/prosecutor.� He is neither and those titles are undeserved. I had to file this challenge to try protect our voters from being mislead. Long Beach voters demand honesty and integrity in their candidates,� said Assistant City Prosecutor O�Reilly. The challenge points out that Mr. Haubert is a private attorney, in private practice, and not an employee of any city, county, state, or federal agency.

The City Clerk, Larry Herrera, said late Thursday afternoon, that Mr. Haubert�s ballot designation will remain unless the matter is challenged in court. Mr. O�Reilly commented �if Mr. Haubert wants to be truthful and say he is a �civil attorney,� or a �lawyer,� he could claim those titles as his designation. The fact that he is asking to be called the �City Attorney/prosecutor� is simply wrong and misleads Long Beach voters.�

Assistant City Prosecutor, Timothy O�Reilly, and attorney Doug Haubert, are both running for the City Prosecutor�s office which is being vacated by current City Prosecutor, Tom Reeves.

More to come...

Comments

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Legal Eagle
This is the most bizarre press release I've ever seen. Apparently O'Reilly foesnt understand that thr overwhelming amount of local city attorney and prosecutorial work for municipalities (ie, signal hill, Lakewood, Catalina, Downey, Paramount, Bell, Bell Gardens, Southgate, Lynwood, Norwalk, etc etc) is contracted out by, and not performed by city employees. Does it change the nature of the work one iota? Of course not. The work is identical. Either O'Reilly doesn't understand something that is obvious even to 1st year law students, or he is taking a swipe at Haubert for not being a city employee--both of which are pathetic. It's pretty clear why virtually every elected official in this town has endorsed Haubert.

CHARLIE
I hate to say it, BUT, it's just political BS in an attempt to degrade his opponent...

Ranzie Claxton
Help. Please let me know if there is anyone running for City Prosecutor who really won cases against "Off Site/Slum Landlords" and is still willing to run on this platform.

O'Reilly 'hits like a g
We want a prosecutor tough on crime & can throw down hard in a fight and this is all this guy has got? Looking for any kind of technicality harkens back to O'Reilly's criminal DEFENSE days.

David
From what I understand Doug Haubert represents numerous cities, has prosecutor experinece and has been a long time Long Beach resident. Haubert far outpaces Tim O'reily in experience and is the clear choice of Long Beach voters. I think the City Clerk Mr. Hererra made the right decision here. What kind of attorney is O'reilly if he doesn't know his way into a courtroom? Instead, he takes the policial mud slinger role.

Sam
The title IS misleading to me. Not sure if it was Haubert's intent but the little things matter just as much as the big things. If a more experience candidate cannot follow or overlook a small rule, it says much about how he/she deals with real world challenges. I prefer integrity and honesty. We'll see if this all clears up but if Haubert doesn't say something, than that's not cool and O'Reilly is totally cool.

Jason
It is misleading. Cities hire a firm to represent them, and that firm in turn sends their attorneys. Doug Haubert is not hired personally. One day Haubert represents a city and the next he may represent a nudy bar. He is a private attorney that is hired by clients, who can change at any time. And by the way, I'm just someone who hates BS and its being spewed all over this election by Haubert's campaign. I hate politics and am writing this, so I know many others silently are smelling the BS from Haubert and his campaign, and hating it!!

Long Beach News

LBPOST.com Managing Editor Ryan ZumMallen keeps up on all the current and breaking Long Beach news.

Ryan ZumMallen is a graduate of the CSULB School of Journalism, writing for the campus' Union Weekly newspaper and serving as Sports Editor for one year. He has written for numerous news and sports websites and magazines, as well as television experience with Fox Sports and ABC Channel 7.