Dear Editor,
By way of introduction, my name is John E. Oakes, Esq. I have been practicing law for over forty years throughout Northern Nevada with my practice limited to criminal defense. I was a former Washoe County Chief Deputy District Attorney, Criminal Division, for ten years. I am also a part time Judge Pro Tem. For the last thirty years I have been in private practice. I have practiced criminal defense throughout all Northern Nevada counties. Currently I have been serving as the Mineral County Public Defender for the last three (years). Prior to my appointment as the Mineral County Public Defender, I had an extensive private practice in Hawthorne for over 20 years. I provided this background information only to serve as a backdrop for my recommendation to Re-Elect Sheriff Randy Adams.
Since assuming my position as the mineral County Public Defender, I have handled over 500 hundred cases. My job dictates that I have constant contact with all members of the Sheriff’s Department. In my opinion, the Deputy’s employed by Sheriff Adams have consistently been professional and more importantly, they have demonstrated integrity and honesty. This is a direct reflection on the Sheriff.
The dynamics of practicing in a rural county are many faceted. Given the smaller population base, smaller police department and closeness of the community, I have found it to be a rewarding experience. I have witnessed people completely change from being chronic drug abusers to successful citizens and parents. I obviously work closely with District Attorney Sean Rowe and his Chief Deputy Kyle George. When attempting to resolve our criminal cases it is a common practice for the arresting Deputy(s) to have input into case resolution. I have never found them to be mean-spirited nor have I found any evidence of “targeting” or “profiling”. In fact, numerous cases are resolved on much more favorable resolutions than if the person was being prosecuted in Washoe County or elsewhere. It seems fashionable in this day and age to paint law enforcement in a poor picture given the number of police involved shootings through the country. This does not occur in Mineral County. In fact, many times the Deputy’s have shown severe restraint in not employing deadly force when in fact they would be completely justified in doing. These examples of self restrain do not make it to the newspapers. This is also a reflection on Sheriff Adams and his departmental policy and procedures.
In closing, Sheriff Adams is a person of honesty and integrity. I would strongly urge that he be Re-Elected Mineral County Sheriff. Mineral County is fortunate to have him serve as their chief law enforcement officer and the deputy’s that serve under him.
John E. Oakes, Esq.
Reno
Dear Editor,
All Nevadans should make a point of reading the economic development platform that Adam Laxalt recently released as part of his campaign for Governor. But citizens in our rural communities in particular need to check it out. Adam has once again demonstrated that when it comes to understanding and meeting the challenges facing rural Nevada, he’s the only candidate in this race we can trust.
His platform calls for stopping tax hikes, rolling back regulations that prevent job growth, and maintaining an economic environment that would keep us the land of opportunity we’ve been for generations. We were especially pleased to see Adam emphasize the need to expand broadband access throughout our state, which is crucial if our rural communities are going to grow and thrive. And he’s committed to developing the skilled workforce our local employers need, by increasing access to Career and Technical Education and engaging our business communities with our education system in workforce training. Simply put, Adam’s platform makes it clear he understands the needs and challenges of Nevada’s rural communities.
Mesquite Mayor Al Litman and former Caliente Mayor Tommy Rowe
