Endorsements for Diane Lavallee:
I would like to take this time to set the record straight in regards to my endorsement for the race for the Erie County District Attorney's office.
It is with deep regret and sadness that I must apologize to all of the people and friends that I advised to give their support to Ken Case in his bid for election to the office of Erie County District Attorney against assistant district attorney Frank Sedita. As a career Buffalo Police officer and a former member of the Bike Path Rapist Task Force, as well as a current member of the BPD Cold Case Homicide Unit that re investigated the Crystalynn Girard Homicide, I have seen up close how the District Attorney's office works and how it doesn't work. The shameful handling of both the Dejac and Capozzi situations as well as others, only highlighted the "over the top" problems of that office and the way that it was being run under the reigns of Frank Clark. I publicly supported Ken Case for District Attorney because I thought that he represented the change that was needed in that office. I was assured by Ken, that his stand both against the status quo, the "heavy-handedness" and sheer arrogance that both Police and victims were subjected to by Mr. Clark and Mr. Sedita for the past 12 years was enough. Ken told me that he wanted to change all of that, and I took him at his word. As it turns out, his word meant nothing, and I now find myself in the uncomfortable position of making this apology to my friends and supporters that I have been assuring that Ken was going to "do the right thing" if elected to the DA's position.
Now, Ken wants me and everyone else who has supported him, to support the man that Ken has always said was just another "Frank Clark" copy! Well, I don't think the average taxpayer in this county, can afford to be "hustled" by these guys again. The only candidate left standing that truly believes that the taxpayers deserve better is Diane LaVallee, and she is the most logical choice for me and anyone that knows me to support for election to be the next District Attorney of Erie County. Again please accept my apologies for not having seen through all of this nonsense in the first place.
Den Delano
I have been working on the District Attorney campaign since my dear friend Diane LaVallee announced her candidacy. I worked with Diane in the Erie County District Attorney's office in the early 1990's. Diane was the unit Chief of the sex crimes unit, then known as the CAAR Unit. We have been friends ever since and I have the utmost respect and confidence in Diane's ability to bring the District Attorney's office back to where it should be. Diane was instrumental in getting the Child Advocacy Center started, it was a dream and a wish for many years, Diane helped make it happen. The CAC has improved how the DA's office, police, medical, CPS and mental health respond to child victims and witnesses. When Diane left the DA's office children were no longer allowed to be video taped for grand jury testimony, even though the law allows it. This should be a crime to force children to testify in front of up to 23 people, when the law allows that testimony to be video taped.
I can not stress enough how the quality of treatment to child victims has declined over the years. I left the office in 2003 to finish my degree at Canisius. My hope for all children is that Diane is elected as the first woman District Attorney in Erie County. That the children and families regain the positive reinforcement that they did the right thing by disclosing abuse and the criminal justice system will not re-victimize them. Please vote on November 4th. And for more information on Diane please visit her website at www.dianelavallee.com thank you for taking the time to read this.
Karin Del Valle, MS, L.M.H.C.
I have been anxiously watching the race for Erie County District Attorney. For almost two decades, I have worked as a physician in the Emergency Department at Buffalo Women and Children's Hospital, and I have been the Medical Director of the hospital's Child Abuse Team. I take care of battered children, shaken babies, sexually abused children and pediatric homicide victims. I have worked closely with the District Attorney's office, the police, Erie County Medical Examiner, Child Protective Services and Family Court. I have worked with Diane LaVallee. I know her to be a cornerstone for Child Protection and Victim Advocacy in Erie County. In the 1990's, during her tenure in the Erie County DA's Office, Diane LaVallee reached beyond the boundaries of the DA's Office into the community. Her focus was community well-being, not politics, and under her leadership, Erie County made great strides in the prosecution of Domestic Violence and in the protection of physically and sexually abused children. While she was Chief of Erie County's Comprehensive Assault, Abuse and Rape Unit, she co-founded the Erie County Child Advocacy Center and Erie County's Child Fatality Review Team. She brought many previously isolated community organizations to the same table to facilitate communication and expedite criminal investigation. Her outreach to firemen, police, emergency medical services, hospital physicians and social services resulted in more than successful prosecution of domestic violence cases. Her work facilitated a successful community response to violent crime outside of the courtroom. My experience under her leadership was markedly different than my experience has been working with the current District Attorney or his endorsed successor. Under our current leadership, the District Attorney's office has noticeably limited its participation in Erie County's child Fatality Reviews, and has demonstrated an increasingly insular and short sighted approach to our community's escalating youth violence. I concur with Mr. Delano's observation that Frank Clark and Frank Sedita can be arrogant and heavy handed with, not only victims and their families, but with our well-intended community agencies struggling to effect change. Diane LaVallee carried her work beyond the prosecution and into community protection and prevention initiatives. Erie County and its children need and deserve LaVallee's vision. My long standing experience as a practicing pediatrician and child advocate within our community requires that I encourage voters to look beyond the status quo this election cycle.
Dr. Paula Mazur, MD
Chief, Division of Emergency Medicine
Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo
219 Bryant St.
Buffalo, NY 14222
Law Enforcement Endorsements:
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Listed, with title, from left to right: Jack Lang, Retired Tonawanda Policeman - John King, Retired Buffalo Police Lieutenant - Diane LaVallee - James Probst, Retired Senior NYS police investigator - Dick Dobson, Retired Erie County Sheriff "I have my finger on the pulse of the law enforcement community and the rank and file is supporting Diane LaVallee." |
John King, Retired Buffalo Police Lieutenant |
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"Diane LaVallee has not only the qualifications and experience to be the District Attorney, she is sincere and will go above and and beyond to do what is best for the community." |
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James Probst, Retired Senior NYS police investigator |
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Additional Endorsements:
The TAP Fund
Stonewall Democrats
The Solidarity Task Force PAC
