Pubdate: Tue, 5 Feb 2002 Source: Advocate, The (LA) Copyright: 2002 The Advocate, Capital City Press Contact: http://www.theadvocate.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2 CRIME FIGHTING WITHOUT LICENSE The arrest of more than 800 people across the state for alleged drug dealing is good news for law-abiding citizens. It's good news because it strikes at the drug manufacture and distribution networks that are devastating lives in our communities every day. And it's good news because it demonstrates a healthy willingness of law enforcement agencies to work together to strike at the drug trade. We cannot help but find curious, though, the prominent presence of the state attorney general, Richard Ieyoub, at the announcement of the arrests. "We're sending them a message we're going to run them out of the state of Louisiana. We're going to arrest them, and we're going to prosecute them," Ieyoub said. If by "we" Ieyoub is referring to himself, he is perpetuating an incorrect notion of his office as a constitutionally designated crime fighter. The framers of the 1974 constitution rejected broad criminal jurisdiction for the attorney general, who has vast authorized duties in the areas of civil law for the government. Except in certain specific areas, he is not authorized to initiate a criminal prosecution unless asked to do so by the local district attorney. It is a division of labor intended to focus the attorney general on areas where he does not duplicate the effort of criminal justice authorities. Where he has criminal jurisdiction, it is in white-collar crime, such as Medicaid fraud and consumer protection. Unfortunately, Ieyoub has not confined himself to his listed duties. A former district attorney in Calcasieu Parish, he campaigned for office with dramatic commercials about fighting crime, slamming prison doors and otherwise pretending to a role in criminal justice. Thrice elected attorney general, Ieyoub has stressed expanding the scope of operations in the criminal division of the Attorney General's Office. Ieyoub said the programs are necessary, and provide vital assistance to local jurisdictions that frequently call for state aid in complex cases. One of the most successful and popular programs, he said, is the computer crime unit, which provides local law enforcement and prosecutors with expertise in tracking child pornographers, or recovering data from computer disks. For an elected official, the justification for these programs is popularity. Street-crime themes may have elected Ieyoub, but that's not the job that the attorney general ought to focus upon. Ieyoub is frequently mentioned as a likely candidate for governor next year, but his appearance with the Sheriff's Association drug task force announcement cannot be called an unusual bid for publicity: He's done this sort of thing all along. If Ieyoub opts to run for governor, we hope candidates for his job will focus on what its role actually is. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D