Pelican Press Endorses Larry Eger for the Primary
Pelican Press
August 6, 2008
Eger proves the better choice for public defender
Many of us are a little awed by the prospect of choosing a new public defender. After all, we haven't elected anyone for that office in 34 years. That's a benchmark the incumbent, retiring public defender, Elliott Metcalfe has set that may never be matched.
His dedication to his job for that long, with days starting very early and ending very late, has served the people of the 12th Judicial Circuit - Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties - well indeed. He has co-founded and directed a dozen programs and coalitions of social service providers that have helped thousands of people in danger of falling through the safety net our foundering local economy threatens to shred, especially those programs for people suffering from mental illness, addiction, poor health and homelessness, many of whom become his clients.
He's given special attention to organizations working to steer young people in productive directions, that they might never need the services of his office; he's won scores of awards for personal and professional contributions. So it was tough to hear the sharp criticism of his office's "failures," as being hopelessly out-of-date and inefficient, from one Republican candidate who would replace him this fall, local criminal defense lawyer Ron Filipkowski, 39.
It is understandable, however.
Metcalfe has endorsed his chief assistant, Republican Larry Eger, a Sarasota resident, for the job. "There's no better candidate for public defender," Metcalfe said. His "integrity and character combined with his leadership ... easily make him the top choice."
Filipkowski must run against Eger's 23-year record of service in this month's Republican primary, and Eger's performance and Metcalfe's are closely intertwined. In November the winner faces Democrat Adam Tebrugge, for many years Metcalfe's top trial lawyer.
Four years ago, Filipkowski ran unsuccessfully for county judge. And he readily acknowledges his early legal service - as an assistant federal and state prosecutor - may have better groomed him for the state attorney's job, but the incumbent top prosecutor, Earl Moreland, makes no mention of retirement, so Filipkowski is running for the public defender's post this time, on what sounds a lot like a would-be state attorney's platform:
He wants to "stop the revolving door" that he says keeps cranking the same names and faces through the criminal justice system, largely because so many crimes are fueled and motivated by drug addictions. He says state-sponsored treatment programs are ineffective, often too expensive, and likely to lose their funding in tough economic times. He prefers smaller, independent faith-based programs he believes are more effective.
Eger, 50, is a passionate believer that the office is serving its clients well, and can continue to do so despite cutbacks.
He says 90 percent of his clients have no factual or legal defense: They did what they were accused of, got caught, and will be sentenced. He believes pre-trial release programs - which can help criminal defendants get jobs, treat their addictions and help them stay out of trouble - can assist criminal defendants in turning their lives around - and make a better case before a judge when sentences are pronounced, if the changes are genuine.
In the community, Eger is proudest of his service for the past five years as board president of the 600-student Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences, a public charter middle school on Central Avenue near downtown Sarasota where 30 percent of the students receive free or reduced-cost lunches. It is an FCAT-rated "A" school.
Many people no doubt would like to believe that the public defender can "take a bite outta crime," but as caseloads climb, and staffing falls, retaining solid, dedicated attorneys willing to carry the burden of the work takes a top, experienced administrator and a proven leader like Eger who can also convince his staff, as he still believes, that theirs is by far the best job a young lawyer can have.
So we agree with Elliott Metcalfe: In the Republican primary, there is no better candidate for public defender than Larry Eger.
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