James Kennedy, currently a Clallam County deputy prosecuting attorney and a former Jefferson County deputy prosecuting attorney, has registered as a Democrat interested in unseating current Prosecuting Attorney Michael Haas.

Haas acknowledged Monday that he is planning to seek a second term.

Kennedy, 37, has put together a campaign team that includes himself and two former employees of the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Former Jefferson County Chief Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Alvarez is serving as Kennedy’s treasurer, and Wendy Davis, who had been working in the office as well, is serving as Kennedy’s campaign chair.

All three quit the office after Haas was elected in 2014. Alvarez and Kennedy currently are working in the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Davis is working for her husband’s firm, Brent Davis Construction.

Kennedy was hired by former Prosecuting Attorney Scott Rosekrans in May 2014; he left in July 2016 after working for Haas for a year and a half. Alvarez had worked in the prosecuting attorney’s office for 17 years before exiting after Haas was elected.

“My main goal in running is to bring the office up to where it needs to be in order to serve the needs of the community,” Kennedy said of why he is interested in the job.

EXPERIENCE

Kennedy, who was born and raised in Bellevue, has a bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College in New York and a law degree, with honors, from Seattle University School of Law in 2012.

Before law school, Kennedy served nearly six years in the U.S. Army, having been in ROTC in college.

Kennedy led convoys in and around Iraq for a year and served a second 15-month tour of duty coordinating logistics in northern Iraq.

“I firmly believe I have the most leadership experience of anyone in the race,” Kennedy said, acknowledging that he expected Haas to seek re-election.

“Attorneys don’t get a lot of experience early on, and I have a lot of experience leading people in high-stakes circumstances,” Kennedy said of his military experiences, which also included time in Mannheim, Germany, during the six years he was in the military.

Kennedy interned in the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office as well as the Skagit County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and worked in Yakima County, prosecuting adult misdemeanors and “juvenile everything,” before former Prosecuting Attorney Rosekrans hired him in 2014.

Kennedy said he left the Jefferson County office, under Haas, “because I wasn’t comfortable with some of the things I was asked to do.”

Kennedy did not want to go into detail about specific incidents between himself and Haas, but acknowledged that would likely occur during the campaign.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, CHILDREN

Kennedy said one of the issues he plans to raise in the election is how the office is prosecuting certain crimes, particularly domestic violence, crimes against children and sex crimes.

“I don’t think we are prosecuting with best practices in mind,” he said, adding that he believes the department should take advantage of training opportunities that he believes would pay off in the future.

“There’s a lot of things a prosecutor can do before the case gets filed, including working closely with investigators in the case,” Kennedy said. “In a lot of these cases, particularly sex crimes, we’re limited in our ability to do good follow-up.”

Specifically, Kennedy said, he would like to see a children’s advocacy center in the county that could be used by law enforcement in investigating crimes against children.

“I know Dove House [Advocacy Services] has been used, but I think we need to do a better job of incorporating that,” he said of concerns that prosecutors aren’t involved in interviews with victims earlier in investigation.

Kennedy also said he would like to see child support enforcement back in the office.

“Shortly after I left the office, the longtime legal assistant that handled support enforcement for the county retired,” he said. “Since then, the job has been handled as a sort of ad hoc afterthought,” Kennedy said, adding he would like to ensure that single parents who rely on support payments get the help when they need it.

Kennedy also said he would like to see more cross-training in the prosecuting attorney’s office so that if someone does need time off or takes a vacation, the community’s needs are met.

He noted that it took Haas about nine months to fill the civil deputy position that Alvarez had held once Alvarez had quit.

“That’s not OK. That’s not excusable. We are there to serve the public and to serve the community,” Kennedy said of the delay.

Kennedy said his current boss, Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols, is aware of his plans to seek office and is supportive. Kennedy said that during filing week, which is May 15-19, he would file as a Democrat.

Asked what it means for a prosecuting attorney to be a Democrat, Kennedy said, “I think it means a little more balance in how we treat people. It’s not simply a matter of locking everyone up for the longest term possible. It’s focusing on treatment and engaging in restorative justice and integrating victims into the process so they know their voices are heard.”

Kennedy lives in Port Ludlow, with his wife, Krystal Kennedy, who works for the Port Townsend Cooperative Playschool. The couple has two children, 7 and 4 years old.

HAAS DECISION

Haas said in a March 4 email that he had decided to run and intends to file the necessary paperwork this week with the state.

“It was not an easy decision to make,” Haas wrote. “I love the job and particularly the team we’ve put together. I think we’re doing a great job,” he said, noting that it does take a toll on one’s family.

“Still, I love what we do, the challenges we face, and the opportunities to problem solve for the county and people that live here,” Haas wrote.

Haas indicated he would make a formal announcement soon.

DISTRICT COURT

A race for a seat being vacated by retiring District Court Judge Jill Landes also has emerged.

Attorney Mindy Walker has filed paperwork with the state Public Disclosure Commission indicating she plans to seek that office. Last month, attorney Noah Harrison announced his intentions to see that office.