I attended the League of Women Voters forum with David Law and Jessica Cooper last night. David Law thinks everything at the prosecutor's office is hunky dory. Jessica Cooper, not so much. Jessica Cooper thinks that the "no plea bargain" stance of the office needs to be looked at. Why? Because often, for example in drug cases, where a street drug dealer is arrested, it's better to make a deal with the street dealer in order to try to get him to give up bigger fish. That makes sense to me. No wonder Cooper is the favorite in this race. Click here for the rest of the article.
Showing posts with label Jessica Cooper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jessica Cooper. Show all posts
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Prosecutor Race Forum - Cooper and Law
I attended the League of Women Voters forum with David Law and Jessica Cooper last night. David Law thinks everything at the prosecutor's office is hunky dory. Jessica Cooper, not so much. Jessica Cooper thinks that the "no plea bargain" stance of the office needs to be looked at. Why? Because often, for example in drug cases, where a street drug dealer is arrested, it's better to make a deal with the street dealer in order to try to get him to give up bigger fish. That makes sense to me. No wonder Cooper is the favorite in this race. Click here for the rest of the article.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
The Oakland Press Speaks to Dem Efforts to Take Over Oakland County
Click here for the rest of the story.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Jessica Cooper Earns Oakland Press Endorsement
Good for the Oakland Press for endorsing Jessica Cooper over Republican David Law. Cooper has the experience and temperament to make a great prosecutor who will be fair. Congratulations to Cooper and here's to a Democratic sweep of county wide offices for Democrats
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Democrats set sights on Oakland County prosecutor job
Democrats set sights on Oakland County prosecutor job
BY L.L. BRASIER • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • June 19, 2008
BY L.L. BRASIER • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • June 19, 2008 It's an office that often has garnered the region's attention.
And those who have held the seat have sometimes made national headlines: Richard Thompson prosecuting Jack Kevorkian, current prosecutor David Gorcyca bringing charges against Nathaniel Abraham.
Now, with Gorcyca deciding not to run for re-election, the Oakland County prosecutor seat is open for the first time since 1968. And Democrats are hoping to regain the office after 35 years of GOP control, opening their wallets and pinning their hopes on Jessica Cooper, a former judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals and a ferocious campaigner. She's an early favorite and has handily won six of seven elections since she first became a district court judge in 1979.
The Republicans admit that this is the year to be worried, particularly with an open seat where no Republican holds the advantage of an incumbency. In prior years, Oakland County has been such a Republican stronghold that Democrats usually produced only sacrificial candidates who lost by double-digit margins.
"We're worried not over the strength of the Democratic candidate as much as the phenomenal impact that Barack Obama appears to have," said L. Brooks Patterson, county executive and the godfather of Oakland County Republicanism. "When he gets 75,000 to come out for him in Portland, that's the stuff that scares us politically."
The Democrats "have more fire in the belly, and it's going to reverberate down through the ticket," Patterson said. "Local candidates can benefit from that level of enthusiasm. Yes, so we've got some tough races ahead."
CLICK HERE for the rest of the storySunday, March 16, 2008
Oakland County Year of the Woman
Will Lawrence, Cooper lead 'year of the woman'?
By Pat Murphy
ECCENTRIC STAFF WRITER
When political pundits speak of the "Year of the Woman," voters usually think Hillary Clinton - even though Barack Obama holds the lead in the race for the Democratic presidential nominee.
But with the May 13 filing deadline less than two months away, it looks like 2008 could be the year of the woman in Oakland County as well.
At least half of the candidates for the top political jobs in Oakland County will be women in the Aug. 5 primary or the Nov. 4 general election.
"It's about time, don't you think?" said Jessica Cooper, the former Oakland Circuit judge running as a Democrat for prosecutor, where incumbent Republican David Gorcyca is not seeking re-election.
Cooper lives in Beverly Hills and was a judge in the Southfield-based 46th District Court from 1977 until 1986, when she became an Oakland circuit judge. She resigned that post in 2000, and currently practices law from her office in Bingham Farms.
Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence, who is expected to announce her candidacy for county executive on April 1, also thinks it's time for new ideas and fresh thinking. As a Democrat, Lawrence would be challenging incumbent L. Brooks Patterson, a Republican.
It was a Republican, Ruth Johnson who in 2004 became the first woman to be elected county clerk/register of deeds in recent history.
"I'm definitely running again," said Johnson, who broke the gender barrier by defeating incumbent William Caddell in the GOP primary.
Clerk/register of deeds is one of the most important and influential elected positions in county government. The others, in addition to executive, are sheriff, prosecutor, treasurer and drain commissioner - currently held by Republicans Patterson, Michael Bouchard, David Gorcyca, Patrick Dohany and John McCulloch, respectively.
Women have held one or two of those positions briefly, said Tracy Warner, spokesperson for the clerk's office. But generally men have dominated those elected positions for decades, according to county records.
Neither Cooper, Lawrence nor Johnson thinks being a woman is - or should be - the main qualification for holding public office.
"There's no substitute for experience or qualifications," said the clerk.
But they also know times have changed.
"It's a different ball game," Johnson said. Many voters want elected officials to reflect the general population when it comes to age, ethnic background, gender and occupation, she said.
"And I think more people want to get involved in public service," Johnson said.
A complete list of candidates who have filed nominating petitions - or paid the $100 filing fee as an alternative - is available in the election division of the clerk's Web site, www.oakgov.com/clerkrod.
When it comes to the races for county commission in the 21st District (Berkley, Lathrup Village and northeast Southfield) three candidates, all Democrats, have filed. They are Kyrian Nwagwu of Lathrup Village and Roy Bell and Charles Robinson, both of Southfield.
The three are vying to succeed Vincent Gregory who is running for the state representative position currently held by Paul Condino.
No one has filed in the 23rd District (most of Southfield) nobody has yet filed to challenge incumbent Democrat Eric Coleman, who said he was filing for re-election Friday afternoon.
By Pat Murphy
ECCENTRIC STAFF WRITER
When political pundits speak of the "Year of the Woman," voters usually think Hillary Clinton - even though Barack Obama holds the lead in the race for the Democratic presidential nominee.
But with the May 13 filing deadline less than two months away, it looks like 2008 could be the year of the woman in Oakland County as well.
At least half of the candidates for the top political jobs in Oakland County will be women in the Aug. 5 primary or the Nov. 4 general election.
"It's about time, don't you think?" said Jessica Cooper, the former Oakland Circuit judge running as a Democrat for prosecutor, where incumbent Republican David Gorcyca is not seeking re-election.
Cooper lives in Beverly Hills and was a judge in the Southfield-based 46th District Court from 1977 until 1986, when she became an Oakland circuit judge. She resigned that post in 2000, and currently practices law from her office in Bingham Farms.
Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence, who is expected to announce her candidacy for county executive on April 1, also thinks it's time for new ideas and fresh thinking. As a Democrat, Lawrence would be challenging incumbent L. Brooks Patterson, a Republican.
It was a Republican, Ruth Johnson who in 2004 became the first woman to be elected county clerk/register of deeds in recent history.
"I'm definitely running again," said Johnson, who broke the gender barrier by defeating incumbent William Caddell in the GOP primary.
Clerk/register of deeds is one of the most important and influential elected positions in county government. The others, in addition to executive, are sheriff, prosecutor, treasurer and drain commissioner - currently held by Republicans Patterson, Michael Bouchard, David Gorcyca, Patrick Dohany and John McCulloch, respectively.
Women have held one or two of those positions briefly, said Tracy Warner, spokesperson for the clerk's office. But generally men have dominated those elected positions for decades, according to county records.
Neither Cooper, Lawrence nor Johnson thinks being a woman is - or should be - the main qualification for holding public office.
"There's no substitute for experience or qualifications," said the clerk.
But they also know times have changed.
"It's a different ball game," Johnson said. Many voters want elected officials to reflect the general population when it comes to age, ethnic background, gender and occupation, she said.
"And I think more people want to get involved in public service," Johnson said.
A complete list of candidates who have filed nominating petitions - or paid the $100 filing fee as an alternative - is available in the election division of the clerk's Web site, www.oakgov.com/clerkrod.
When it comes to the races for county commission in the 21st District (Berkley, Lathrup Village and northeast Southfield) three candidates, all Democrats, have filed. They are Kyrian Nwagwu of Lathrup Village and Roy Bell and Charles Robinson, both of Southfield.
The three are vying to succeed Vincent Gregory who is running for the state representative position currently held by Paul Condino.
No one has filed in the 23rd District (most of Southfield) nobody has yet filed to challenge incumbent Democrat Eric Coleman, who said he was filing for re-election Friday afternoon.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Troy Democrats to host panel on Governing Oakland County
Dems to hear panel March 19
Oakland County Commissioner Tim Burns, R-Clawson, will moderate a panel discussion Wednesday, March 19, on "Governing Oakland County," featuring a trio of speakers from the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government.
Hosted by the Troy Democratic Club, the panel will begin at 8 p.m., preceded by a 7 p.m. club business meeting, at the Troy Community Center, 3179 Livernois (east of I-75, north of Big Beaver/16 Mile Road).
Panelists include: Brenda Lawrence, mayor of Southfield; Andy Meisner, state representative; Jessica Cooper, Bingham Farms attorney and former judge in the Michigan Court of Appeals, Oakland County Circuit Court and 46th District Court. These area leaders will speak about their vision for the future in Oakland County. The meeting is open to the public. Admission is free.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Jessica Cooper announces run for County Prosecutor
Jessica Cooper, former circuit court judge, to run for Oakland prosecutor
Former Oakland County Circuit Judge Jessica Cooper will run for Oakland County prosecutor on the Democratic ticket.
Speaking at the Race Relations & Diversity Task Force meeting this morning at The Community House in Birmingham Dave Woodward, chairman of the Oakland County Democratic Party, said Cooper “has the credentials... and name recognition” to capture the seat, which is being vacated by David Gorcyca, who is not seeking re-election.
Woodward also said she has the fund-raising ability to run a successful campaign.
Cooper, a Bingham Farms resident, achieved national attention in 1999 when she presided over the trial of Jack Kevorkian, ultimately sentencing him to 10 to 25 years in prison for one of his assisted suicides. In 2001 she was elected to the state Court of Appeals, from which she resigned earlier this year.
She received a law degree from Wayne State University.
Gorcyca was elected prosecutor in 1996.
Cooper could not be reached for comment Thursday morning.
Woodward was speaking at the Task Force meeting with Dennis Cowan, chairman of the Oakland County Republican Party, on the topic of how important voting is no matter which party you favor.
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