It's always a painful experience for the Emperor when he realizes he's been parading through town sans clothing.  For years, decades even, TBC's crime reporting was normally a rehash of statements contained in police reports and court transcripts, along with an obligatory comment from a defense representative near the end.  But a few years ago, when the reversals on the big cases began to mount up, and the big money settlements began to flow into the bank accounts of the "victims" of overzealous prosecutors (and I use that term in lieu of several more descriptive terms which are  unsuitable for a  family newspaper) TBC did the only thing they could:  they reported the news.

As the citizens of Kern County awoke from their lengthy nap, they realized they had a holdover from the McCarthy era occupying the role as local Top Cop. Many began to look at annual tax burden and wonder WHY so much money HAS to flow into the criminal justice system (particularly the prisons) and began to question whether there wasn't a better way to achieve public safety without draining the pockets of the citizenry?

In fact, the end of the love affair K.C. had with Jagels and his minions was entirely predictable, and not as a direct result of the numerous failed and wrongful prosecutions his office spearheaded.  It was the natural swinging of the pendulum of public opinion, which once upon a time in the Sixties and Seventies had swung far to the left, favoring rehabilitation over warehousing as a solution for the crime problem during those times.  As the crime rates rose (thanks to the remnants of the baby boomers who were reaching adulthood in the 70's and 80's) the populace began crying out for stronger penalties for criminals.

Jagels and his ilk answered the call, with a vengeance!  For 20+ years, the budgets of law enforcement and correctional departments have swelled to accomodate the increase in business that was the result of the increase in the draconian nature of our system of punishment.

Now, when the Piper has been paid, re-paid, and paid again, and with little or no effect on the levels of crime in this country (which can be directly correlated with the rise and fall in the number of people in the 18-34 year age bracket) taxpayers are forcing that pendulum back to the Left, demanding that alternatives to costly incarceration be explored and/or implemented.  TBC is merely documenting this shift in the social fabric, as any decent newspaper would do.  TBC is no more responsible for this change in public opinion than the Man on the Moon.

Jagels, however, is ultimately responsible for the all actions and misdeeds that occur in his office.  That's the price you pay when you decide you want to be The Leader.  No one likes their foibles aired in public, and I assume Ed is no different.  But to waste time and effort on a blog blaming innocent parties for actions completely out of their control is childish and ignorant.  But then again, it appears from the reversals his office has suffered lately, it's just business as usual.

  Well said Jeff, we need new blood in the D.A. office~and humility is a rare thing today. It would be refreshing if he just said "Hey we messed up" and go on...but that is  a act of courage and ethics..