Letters for Sunday, May 26, 2004

Ochoa-Bruck doesn’t give fair chances

Here is another viewpoint, from a clerk who was there from the day she got there until August 2023 when I moved.

This has nothing to do with her gender, race nor her ethnic background. This has everything to do with how she conducts her courtroom and how she treats defendants. The mistakes she made in the beginning could be chalked up to a learning curve. It’s called a learning curve because you learn from those mistakes. She did not and has not. She continues to make mistakes that literally cost people their freedom.

When she is confronted with the mistake, she is not apologetic, she is not sincere, she calls it just another “happy little accident” with a smile on her face, accepts her big paycheck and goes home. People are being left in jail when they should be released, warrants are being ordered when they shouldn’t be, probation being ordered on closed cases … it is a very long list and every day she sits in that seat the list is just going to get longer. As a clerk, we are a neutral party. I have equal faith in the prosecutors to do their job and for the defense to do theirs. I have zero faith that Gloria Ochoa-Bruck can fix her biases and nonchalance enough to give anyone in that courtroom a fair chance at justice. I could go on … and on and on … but I will leave it there.

Kayelee Alexander

Colville

Stop discrediting judge

In November 2021, Gloria Ochoa-Bruck was elected as the first Latina judge of the Municipal Court, unseating Matt Antush who was previously appointed to this role. This milestone brought much-needed diversity to the bench, better reflecting our community’s growing diversity.

I am disheartened by actions taken against Judge Ochoa-Bruck by the Public Defender’s Office, led by Director Nick Antush. According to an April 19 article, the office filed blanket motions without specific reasons to remove cases from her court. A May 10 article reported at least three attempts to disqualify her, with the allegations for disqualification constantly changing. Such actions against a judge are exceedingly rare and have not been seen against any municipal court judge in recent memory.

These efforts seem aimed at discrediting Judge Ochoa-Bruck and questioning her competence, diverting attention from the true motives behind these actions.

Knowing Gloria personally, I can attest to her resilience and dedication. She has overcome significant personal challenges and deeply understands the difficulties faced by many in our community. Judge Ochoa-Bruck ensures that everyone is heard, seen and respected, while also working to protect the community at large.

I urge the city to investigate the true reasons behind the Public Defender’s Office targeting of the Honorable Gloria Ochoa-Bruck.

Jennifer Robinson

Spokane

No surpirse regarding Haskell

Unfortunately, the vandalism of the pride crosswalk in downtown Spokane was not a surprise to me given our current state of affairs. Thanks, Donald! What was a surprise to me was the ignorant comment (and the fact that The Spokesman-Review printed it) by Lesley Haskell, wife of prosecuting attorney Larry Haskell.

She’s made it clear that she condones vandalism, vandalism that could have in fact spread to buildings in close proximity which could have been catastrophic.

Also, the “chatter” in the Haskell household is of concern. How does this attitude affect his decision making in cases that may involve the LGBTQ+ community? Do the ignorant hateful beliefs spewed from his wife’s mouth affect his decision making on these cases? Does her ignorance include the Black or Hispanic communities?

Have his decisions to prosecute and how he prosecutes cases that include afore mentioned communities been clouded by the obvious feelings of his wife and household?

When are we just going to live and let live? If you don’t like it avoid it and live your life with a more positive focus and less hate. Hate and ignorance about subjects I guarantee these people have never taken the time to educate themselves on yet continue to condemn nonstop. Enough already, smarten up.

Kelly Glenn

Spokane

Kelly is upright, trustworthy and dependable

Mike Kelly is running for the Washington state Senate to represent the 4th Legislative District in Spokane County.

I have known Mike and his wife for several years. He is a responsible and dedicated family man with a strong desire to protect what is good in America. He is a man of integrity and honesty and runs a successful business that is fiscally sound. He is a solid conservative who thinks clearly and rationally and never allows emotion to get in the way of common sense. He has a firm faith in God and Jesus Christ and that faith is reflected in everything he says and does. Mike is a powerhouse of conviction who is dedicated to preserving our freedoms; our freedom to speak truth, our freedom to protect our families, our freedom to practice our faith, and our freedom to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Mike Kelly is upright, trustworthy and dependable, and if elected, he will serve all of the people in the 4th Legislative District equally, with hard work and fairness.

Marvel Travis

Spokane Valley

Use moratorium to fix infrastructure

I was grateful to see the development moratorium of the Latah Valley/Grandview Thorpe neighborhoods. I am by no means anti-development. But developing this area will by no means help the homeless population. Unless of course, low-income housing is allowed.

My newest concern is what the city will do to start to fix the infrastructure. This area desperately needs a fire station, if not two. There are at least three mobile home communities in these neighborhoods. That is added to hundreds of other single residences on both sides of Highway 195.

In my mobile home community there are roughly 300 homes. We received at least two Level 2 evacuation alerts last summer. Imagine 300 (or more) cars evacuating this area. It would take hours.

I hope the city can expedite plans to at least get a firehouse in our area. Otherwise, the moratorium is useless. Perhaps developers can pitch in with planning and funding.

Beverly Gibb

Spokane

Newhouse’s misinformation about grizzlies

In response to Dan Newhouse’s misinformation campaign about Grizzly Bear reintroduction to the North Cascades:

• It is not a plan put forth by his go-to demon “West Coast elitists.” The plan is a result of decades of study in the North Cascades.

• It is not a Biden mandate. In 2018, Donald Trump’s Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke, came to the North Cascades to announce his agency’s plan to finish the reintroduction study. He said, “I’m in support of the Great Bear.”

• Wilderness is the highest form of land protection. The 1964 Wilderness Act states that the purpose of Wilderness is “to preserve and protect natural ecosystems and wild areas.” These are not areas set aside for sterile, tame human activity. We already have that elsewhere.

• Montana has the largest grizzly bear population in the lower U.S. (multitudes higher than what is planned in Washington). The average number of attacks is one per year, rarely fatal. In comparison, someone is killed by gunshot every 44 hours and 203 people were killed in car crashes in 2023 (772 in Washington). We are outraged by bear attacks, but barely acknowledge firearm and motor vehicle deaths. (Note: Newhouse voted against the Infrastructure Act that designated $1 billion in the Safe Streets and Roads for All program to reduce roadway crashes and fatalities, not to mention $40 billion to help ensure that some of the nation’s most important bridges remain safe and operational).

• Unlike Montana, the regions for reintroduction do not border private land.

Jeff Bryce

Winthrop, Wash.