The June 24 Honest Forum at Port Ludlow saw Michael Haas, the incumbent prosecutor and coroner for Jefferson County since 2014, and James Kennedy, a former deputy prosecutor for Jefferson County now working in Clallam County, discuss their respective opinions on how to administer the law.

When asked about the role of the prosecutor, challenger Kennedy leaned heavily on the idea of the prosecutor's “discretion” to prosecute crimes, but he and incumbent Haas agreed that respect is still due to law enforcement in such decisions.

“If we choose not to charge someone, we owe law enforcement an explanation why,” Kennedy said. “We work closely with them, and need to let them know what we're doing, every step of the way.”

While Haas likewise touted the prosecutor's “independence” from the sheriff's office, he also joked that his office is “married into” law enforcement, since three of his staffers have married members of law enforcement.

When asked how the county budget might have affected which cases are prosecuted, Kennedy and Haas agreed that it has little impact on the office's day-to-day operations, although Haas pointed out that the county's staffing levels are below where they were in 2008, and floated the idea of adding a second civil deputy prosecutor.

Haas and Kennedy likewise shared similar opinions about levels of policing in the city and county, with Haas saying, “We're over-policed in Port Townsend, and under-policed in the county,” and citing the sheriff's deputy who waited 19 minutes for backup in Brinnon in 2017.

“Part of the problem is that Jefferson County's population is extremely spread out,” said Kennedy, who added his concerns about only two deputies covering the west end of the county, as he estimated Port Townsend's population to be a third that of the county as a whole.

When asked about the challenges of their office as prosecutors, Haas identified “a significant drug problem in this county,” while Kennedy also counted mental health as a common denominator among a number of offenders.

Haas proudly touted the county's existing treatment courts as an alternative to the “revolving door” of arrests and incarcerations that many people with addiction or mental health issues experience, while Kennedy advocated similar sentencing reforms, to explore alternatives besides prison.

When asked how they would prioritize tight budgets, Kennedy seconded Haas on the need for a civil deputy prosecutor, albeit because Kennedy wants to protect the county from any further costly litigation.

Haas readily agreed with Kennedy that “public records issues have already cost us, huge,” and described the county's current civil deputy prosecutor, Philip Hunsucker, as “the hardest working attorney” he's worked with in his career, simply for the number of civil cases he's already handling.