Carson trial fallout is just one challenge facing the next DA in Stanislaus County
Assistant District Attorney Jeff Laugero sort of flew under the radar to position himself as the next district attorney of Stanislaus County.
Leading up to the Feb. 14 through March 16 election filing period for the office, the DA’s Office was the focus of issues that might make for a spirited contest, but Laugero was the only candidate to file for the June 7 primary election.
He is poised to succeed Birgit Fladager, the county’s district attorney since 2006, when her term expires in about nine months.
The new district attorney could possibly deal with continued deliberations in the Scott Peterson case, a serious backlog of criminal cases and fallout from the trial of defense attorney Frank Carson.
The District Attorney’s Office has been sharply criticized over the murder trial of Carson and other defendants, who were either acquitted by a jury or cleared of wrongdoing. Prosecutors charged the defendants in 2015 with the 2012 disappearance and death of Korey Kauffman.
Carson died in August 2020, about 14 months after his acquittal. The defense attorney filed a 2020 lawsuit in federal court against Stanislaus County seeking damages on allegations of false arrest and malicious prosecution. Damages continue to be sought by Carson’s estate.
In a phone interview Monday, Laugero said the DA’s Office has some work ahead to reconnect with the public. “We have a narrative to work on to improve our relationship with the community to make sure we are meeting their expectations,” he said.
He stressed that prosecution staff are a group of professionals held to the highest ethical standards and can bring only cases that can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Laugero said he wasn’t part of the district attorney administrative staff during the prosecution of Carson and the other defendants. He was a chief deputy district attorney before a promotion to assistant DA in October.
He said the DA’s Office will do more outreach with community groups and service organizations “to let them know who we are and that we don’t have a problem with answering questions.”
Pandemic worsened backlog
Another challenge facing the office is a sizable backlog of criminal cases, which was further snarled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Court appearances were delayed and jury trials were suspended in January when county jail inmates facing charges were infected during outbreaks.
“The pandemic impacted our ability to take cases to trial,” Laugero said. “The court would bring in a jury panel and, as soon as (a prospective juror) had symptoms, the panel was released and you would start anew.”
Changes in criminal law could serve to reduce the backlog of cases, which predated the COVID pandemic. Laugero said a larger number of misdemeanor offenses can be diverted to programs as an alternative to prosecution. As an example, a person charged with a drug offense may be referred to substance abuse treatment.
“We need to make sure when using diversion that it’s serving a purpose and it’s not a get-out-of-jail card,” he said.
Laugero joined the District Attorney’s Office as a prosecutor in 2005. He was a police officer before deciding on a career in law. He graduated from the Santa Clara University School of Law.
Laugero previously served as mayor of Escalon and resigned from the City Council in December to move to Stanislaus County and run for district attorney. He said he and his wife moved to Modesto in February.
Supervisor impressed with his credentials
County Supervisor Mani Grewal said he appreciates that Laugero has a background in law enforcement and criminal prosecution. His experience in public service as an Escalon city leader is another asset, Grewal said.
“He has good rapport with (district attorney staff) and the legal community in Stanislaus County,” the supervisor said.
Grewal said he’s not surprised the district attorney election is uncontested. The pandemic and other pressures in the last two years might have made it difficult for candidates to ramp up campaigns, he said.
The District Attorney’s Office also needs to recruit prosecutors to fill staffing vacancies. Laugero said it has six to eight attorney positions to fill.
The county competes with other jurisdictions including San Joaquin, Sacramento, Alameda and El Dorado counties to find qualified attorneys to prosecute cases, he said.
“The pool of people coming out of law schools who want to be prosecutors is not as big as it used to be,” Laugero said. “(The counties) find that the best place to recruit people is from another district attorney office. There is active recruitment going on all the time.”
This story was originally published March 22, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
