Opinion

Reed right choice for district attorney

We recommend that voters give Susan D. Reed another term as Bexar County district attorney. We recommend that voters give Susan D. Reed another term as Bexar County district attorney. Photo: Express-News File Photo Photo: Express-News File Photo Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Reed right choice for district attorney 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO — The top law enforcement job in the county mandates a top caliber lawyer with a broad scope of legal expertise and strong administrative skills to manage an office that handles criminal prosecution as well as appeals and civil litigation.

Republican incumbent Susan D. Reed is by far the best candidate for district attorney on the November ballot.

Reed, who is seeking her fifth term in office, has developed some blemishes on her record during her 20 years as district attorney, but she has been a tough prosecutor and has served the community well in running the largest law firm in town.

A former state district judge, Reed has been aggressive about the prosecution of criminals who target the elderly and in getting drunken drivers off the road with the adoption of a policy requiring blood draws on all suspected drunken drivers.

She has gained the respect of her colleagues at the state and national level, serving on the statewide Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force and chairing the Alamo Area Coalition Against Trafficking.

Reed can also be credited for founding the Bexar County Family Justice Center, which provides services to victims of domestic violence and their children.

Our major concerns about Reed involve the handling of high-profile cases involving adult children of DA office employees, friends of the Reed family and the offspring of a local politician. In each of those cases, youthful defendants were allowed to take advantage of pretrial diversion programs unavailable to the general population.

The adverse publicity regarding those cases has resulted in the adoption of a pretrial diversion program available for qualifying young first-time misdemeanor offenders. It is a welcome first step and one that could bear expansion.

Despite those problems, we recommend Reed for re-election. Her opponent, Democrat Nicholas “Nico” LaHood’s, 41, has only 10 years legal experience, much of it focused on defending drunken drivers and those charged with drug-related crimes.

LaHood’s arrest in 1994 for selling 200 Ecstasy pills to an undercover officer at a gentleman’s club is cause for major concern. The case resulted in deferred adjudication so there is no permanent conviction on his record, but it is not the type of incident that fits comfortably on the résumé of anyone seeking the top prosecutor’s job.

The involvement of Thomas J. Henry in the LaHood campaign is deeply disturbing. The plaintiff lawyer’s gargantuan contribution of nearly $700,000 to LaHood’s campaign effort is unheard of in a local race and raises serious questions about LaHood’s judgment.

The citizens of Bexar County will be best served by keeping Reed in office.