Editor:

As the reporting by the NCJ over the last few weeks has made clear, District Attorney Maggie Fleming is scared to take the David Josiah Lawson case to trial (NCJ Daily, April 18).

It's understandable that a DA who makes her decisions based on what is politically expedient would be hesitant, as it's not an open-and-shut case. Her office's skillfully weak presentation to the criminal grand jury made that abundantly clear ("If Prosecutors Can Get a Grand Jury to Indict a Sandwich, Why Couldn't They Get One to Indict Kyle Zoellner," March 28).

Unfortunately, she's tainted any prospect of the California Attorney General's office taking the case ("My Conversation with Richard Ehle," April 4), which is apparently her next effort to avoid her responsibilities as the people's prosecutor for Humboldt County.

It makes one think back fondly on our former DA, who was famously willing to take on cases that were politically unpopular and/or not slam dunks. At least with him, we knew we the people would have our day in court.

Jennifer Green, Arcata