POLITICS
The Prosecutors
S
Steve Kaplan
could be Oak-
land County's
first Jewish
prosecuting
attorney in
20 years.
AMY J. MEHLER
Staff Writer
Steve Kaplan, right, and
Richard Thompson, above.
CAMPAIGN WATCH
This is the fifth installment
on races to watch in the
Aug. 4 primary. Next
week, we will wrap up
the primary races, and in
the coming weeks we will
have more political cov-
erage before the Nov. 3
elections.
48
FRIDAY, JULY 24, 1992
teve Kaplan is after the
biggest prize of his le-
gal career — Oakland
County prosecutor.
If he succeeds, he will be
the first Democrat to run that
office in 20 years.
Mr. Kaplan, an assistant
prosecuting attorney in Ma-
comb County who is also pres-
ident of the Southfield school
board, has a serious challenge
this November.
His opponent, Richard
Thompson, is one of a long
line of Republicans running
the show in the Oakland
County courthouse.
For years, Mr. Thompson
was former Prosecutor L.
Brooks Patterson's right-hand
man, working for 16 years as
an assistant prosecutor. Mr.
Thompson ran for office in
1988 when Mr. Patterson de-
cided against reelection.
Mr. Kaplan,
who holds a
bachelor's de-
gree in psychol-
ogy from
Oakland Uni-
versity and a
law degree from
the Detroit Col-
lege of Law,
joined the Ma-
comb prosecutor's office in
1986.
In addition to serving in the
felony case division, Mr. Ka-
plan also does work for the
drug and appeals and re-
search units.
Mr. Kaplan has several
ideas to expand Oakland's
services without increasing
taxes. He wants to establish
a business and consumer
fraud division, increase crime
victim services and improve
relations between the prose-
cutor and the judiciary.
To avoid a tax increase, he
would use resources available
instead of hiring more per-
sonnel. Referring to the high-
ly publicized mass murders
by Leslie Alan Williams, Mr.
Kaplan says he wants to re-
quire the state Department of
Corrections to inform the
prosecutor's office of parole
hearings
of violent
offenders.
Leslie
Alan
Williams,
a convict-
ed felon,
raped and
murdered
several
young girls in Oakland Coun-
ty after he was released on
parole.
"We would prevent people
who haven't been rehabilitat-
ed from returning to the com-
munity," Mr. Kaplan said.
Mr. Thompson also is criti-
cal of the parole board. He be-
lieves Michigan's parole
system should be abolished.
Prisoners, he says, should
complete their sentences.
"Early releases are given to
those who get out before serv-
ing minimum sentences be-
cause of disciplinary credits,"
he said. "It becomes a revolv-
ing door."
Mr. Thompson, who ran on
a tough, uncompromising
stand on crime, has in the last
year come under criticism.
Last summer, an Oakland
County judge threatened to
go to the Oakland County
Board of Commissioners and
cut his budget if he didn't
abandon his no plea bargain-
ing policy.
He also has been criticized
for his persistent prosecution
of Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Dr.
Kevorkian last year earned
the nickname "Dr. Death" af-
ter he helped several termi-
nally-ill women commit
suicide.
Mr. Kaplan does not believe
Dr. Kevorkian should be pros-
ecuted.
Mr. Kaplan said Mr.
Thompson's stand on plea
bargaining, which started
with his predecessor, clogs
court dockets and wastes lim-
ited resources.
"I think violent and repeat
offenders should be dealt with
harshly," Mr. Kaplan said.
"We agree on that."
Mr. Thompson said his pol-
icy on plea bargaining sends
a clear message in Oakland
County. If someone violates
the law, he or she must be ac-
countable.
He maintains that plea bar-
gaining is destructive to the
criminal justice system, re-
warding criminals, revictim-
izing victims, demoralizing
police officers.
HOT RACES '92
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