Candidate Statement - Michael Waldrup
Running for Bonner County Prosecutor (Ind.)
To the fine citizens of Bonner County: I am running for local office because I strongly care about the Bonner County community. I want to help make Bonner County a better place and I have the tools and understanding to get it done. I grew up here and I am familiar with local concerns and issues. I am the best candidate for the job because of that familiarity and because of the experience and knowledge that I can bring. At U of I Law School I tried out for and got one of four spots on the school Trial Team. The training and experience we received on Trial Team was invaluable in starting a career as a criminal and civil trial attorney.
In addition, when I was a deputy prosecuting attorney, I had the privilege of being selected for numerous trial advocacy trainings at the National Advocacy Center in South Carolina. Those trainings are some of the very best that an attorney can receive. Later, when I worked at a large private firm, I had the opportunity to be involved in high-level negotiations with state and federal agencies such as Idaho Fish and Game, Idaho DEQ, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and EPA. Those negotiations concerned land and water use issues and taught me a great deal about how to effectively coordinate common and competing interests.
For the last seven years I have been successfully running my own legal practice. As a candidate I bring my business understanding, my trial trainings, the many jury trials I have been a part of, and the experience of high pressure negotiations. All of those things, together with the fact that I am actually from here, make me the most qualified person for the job.
I am running as an Independent candidate because the position of Prosecuting Attorney should not be partisan or about catering to political agendas. It should be about protecting our citizens, getting the bad guys and supporting victims.
I believe we should be fiscally conservative and socially responsible. If I am elected I will make better use of your tax dollars by focusing on violent crimes and helping and supporting victims. I will free up valuable time and space by starting a law enforcement diversion program for nonviolent offenses. Research has shown that diversion through treatment saves taxpayer dollars, leads to less repeat offenders, and eases court congestion.
I will put the focus on prosecuting crimes of violence and property crimes. I will put more energy into helping victims of crimes and more energy into community outreach. I want to restore that sense of community with law enforcement that was here when I grew up. Our fine citizens need to know that local law enforcement takes its duties to protect and serve seriously. I also want voters to know that I will not do private work from or at a public office. What it boils down to is that I intend on bringing common sense and ethics to the job. I hope I have your vote on November 6.
- Courtesy River Journal