Thread: NCT POLL : AGREE ON DUMPING U.S. ATTORNEY LAM? : CLOSED

POLL

Do you agree with the decision of the U.S. Attorney General's office to request the resignation of U.S. Attorney Carol Lam?

Yes (2 Votes, 100%)

No (0 Votes, 0%)

Not Sure (0 Votes, 0%)

http://www.nctimes.com/

POLL ON FRONT PAGE - LOWER RIGHT

Issa confirms U.S. attorney asked to quit

For years, Issa has been critical of Lam for what he said was her failure to prosecute enough illegal-immigrant smugglers. In an October 2005 letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, for example, Issa blasted Lam's office for failing to prosecute two cases of smugglers who were repeat offenders. In the letter, Issa called her failure to do so the result of "lax prosecutorial standard."

In his Tuesday news release, Issa recalled his frustration with Lam's office.

"I have been outspoken about the need to do more to target human smugglers and organized crime at the border for prosecution," Issa wrote.

Officials with Lam's office could not be reached for comment as of 1:35 p.m. Tuesday

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/01 ... _16_07.txt

Legal community stunned by Lam report

The president of the National Patrol Council, which represents rank-and-file U.S. Border Patrol agents, said Friday that he wishes Lam well and said he hopes that whomever follows her in the job is willing to do whatever is necessary to prosecute immigration smuggling cases.

President T.J. Bonner said that because Lam was so picky about what she was willing to pursue "that it was nearly impossible to prosecute cases in San Diego."

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/01 ... _12_07.txt

Do you agree with the decision of the U.S. Attorney General's office to request the resignation of U.S. Attorney Carol Lam?
Yes
(15 Votes, 63%)
No
(8 Votes, 33%)
Not Sure
(1 Votes, 4%

U.S. Attorney Lam resigns

By: WILLIAM FINN BENNETT - Staff Writer

SAN DIEGO -- Ending days of speculation, San Diego-area U.S. Attorney Carol Lam announced Tuesday afternoon in a news release that she will step down from the job on Feb. 15.

News stories first surfaced last week that she had been asked to resign, but no government source was willing to go on the record with the information.

The release did not provide a reason for Lam's resignation nor did it say if she had been asked to resign. Reached by phone late Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the 47-year-old Lam said that there would be no other comment.


In a Tuesday phone interview from his Washington office, U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, said Lam was asked to step down.

Issa declined to name the source of the information, but said "it was a high-ranking administration official involved in the decision process."

U.S. attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president.

Department of Justice officials in Washington, D.C., did not respond to requests for interviews Tuesday.

For years, Issa has been critical of Lam for what he said was her failure to more aggressively prosecute illegal-immigrant smugglers.

"And I have had one-on-one conversations with Ms. Lam, urging her to be more aware of the policy priority that the president has given," he said, referring to Bush's promises to secure the nation's borders.

In an October 2005 letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, for example, Issa blasted Lam's office for failing to prosecute two cases of smugglers who were repeat offenders. In the letter, Issa called her failure to do so the result of "lax prosecutorial standard."

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/01 ... _16_07.txt

Do you agree with the decision of the U.S. Attorney General's office to request the resignation of U.S. Attorney Carol Lam?

Yes (29 Votes, 55%)

No (20 Votes, 39%)

Not Sure (3 Votes, 6%)

Mexicans who smuggle illegals have gotten a slap on the wrist or have their charges dropped constantly by this worthless U.S. Attorney Carol Lam. She prosecuted only 4% of cases brought to her jurisdiction, that means 96% of all illegal alien smugglers arrested were let go by her with no charges at all.

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... &highlight

Morale among Border Patrol agents in the San Diego area is suffering because most illegal-alien smugglers are released without being prosecuted, according to an internal agency memo.

The memo, which was apparently written in August and released to Federal Times May 19 by the office of Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said that only violent smugglers or those transporting a dozen or more illegal aliens are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of California.

The memo examines prosecutions of alleged smugglers caught by agents stationed at El Cajon, a small city east of San Diego, in fiscal 2003 and 2004. Border Patrol agents there caught more smugglers in fiscal 2004, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting fewer smugglers overall.
“It is very difficult to keep agents’ morale up when the laws they were told to uphold are being watered down or not prosecuted,” the memo said. “Until this issue is resolved, more and more people (even minors) will get involved with aliens smuggling.”