The LuLac Edition #1798, October 17th, 2011

GOP Presidential contender Herman Cain.
Luzerne County DA Jackie Musto Carroll and her opponent Republican Stefanie Salavantis. (Photo from PittstonPolitics.com.)

RAISING CAIN!

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain received some support Sunday from an unlikely source: his competition.
Fellow presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich told CNN that Cain's 999 tax plan could lead him to the White House.
"If Herman figures out how to do it all right, and if he can explain a 9 percent sales tax so people decide they want it, he has a good chance to be the nominee," the former Speaker of the House said during an appearance on CNN's State of the Union.
But Gingrich said the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza has some work to do in convincing voters.
Cain has seen his popularity surge recently while promoting his tax proposal.
His "999" plan would replace the current tax system with a 9 percent rate on income taxes, a 9 percent rate on corporate taxes and a new 9 percent national sales tax. I watched Cain on Meet the Press and he seemed to be the anti Obama in terms of three crucial areas:
1. His upbringing. Non elitist and very specific.
2. A Reagan like explanation of complex problems.
3. A viable alternative as an agent of change against an incumbent President that promised change. Cain seems to explain how things can get done, while Obama, who has accomplished some good things can’t seem to get out of his own way.
As an example, the Obama administration has deported more illegal aliens since its inception in 2009 but no one seems to realize that. A CaIn-Obama race would be historic as it would be a clear definition of Conservative vs Progressive.

HITTING IT HARD

Give this to Luzerne County GOP District Attorney candidate Stefanie Salavantis, she is hitting it hard and in the home area of Jackie Musto Carroll the current DA. The Republican philosophy seems to be that since Ray Musto and his legacy have been sidelined, there are many people in the Third District that would just as well like to see some sort of comeuppance for the more than half century Musto reign. Salavantis’ recent TV ad features a historic Pittston landmark, The Majestic Restaurant as well as its owner who is the candidate’s grandfather. On the radio the Salavantis campaign has launched an ad that is effective in the sense that it took me a few seconds to realize it was not a Medicare Supplemental plan ad.
Here’s the TV ad currently up from the Salavantis folks:


MUSTO CARROLL ON FACEBOOK

Jackie Musto Carroll has had some signs on display in the last few weeks and is utilizing social media to get the word out about her campaign. A website directs readers to a FaceBook page. On it Musto Carroll has her initiatives as well as personal bio. So far Musto Carroll has not responded to the Salavantis campaign ads and for all we know may not. But here’s a recap of the incumbent’s credentials:
District Attorney Jackie Musto Carroll was born and raised in Pittston Township. She graduated with honors from Pittston Area High School in 1978. She attended Pennsylvania State University where she was a Dean’s List student majoring in Business Administration. She went on to graduate from the University of Scranton in the top ten percent of her class with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management. In May of 1985, District Attorney Carroll graduated from the Temple University School of Law earning her Juris Doctorate Degree.
District Attorney Carroll has been a practicing attorney for 26 years having been admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1985. Throughout that time, she served as an Assistant District Attorney in both Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties. In 1984, she began as a legal intern in the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office for District Attorney Robert Gillespie. In 1986, she accepted a full-time position as an Assistant District Attorney with Ernie D. Preate in Lackawanna County. When Superior Court Judge Correale Stevens was elected District Attorney of Luzerne County in 1988, Attorney Carroll joined his staff as a full-time Assistant District Attorney. She served with Judge Stevens throughout his administration and remained on staff with District Attorney Jerome L. Cohen when he was appointed District Attorney in 1991. Then, in 1992 when Judge Peter Paul Olszewski, Jr. was elected District Attorney, she remained on staff as an Assistant District Attorney. She then left the office in 1993 to pursue her interests in the civil practice of law while returning as a part-time Assistant District Attorney when District Attorney David W. Lupas was elected District Attorney in 2000. In 2004, District Attorney Carroll was named First Assistant District Attorney of Luzerne County.
District Attorney Carroll is the first woman ever to hold that position in our county. In 2007, she had the distinct honor and privilege of being the first woman elected District Attorney of Luzerne County, the position which she currently holds.
At present, she is the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of Luzerne County and as such, is responsible for the prosecution of nearly fifty homicide cases and over 16,000 criminal cases since taking office in 2008. Throughout her nineteen year career as a prosecutor, District Attorney Carroll has personally served as lead counsel in sixteen homicide cases, resulting in a 100% conviction rate thus far. Additionally, she served as co-counsel on numerous other homicides. She has personally prosecuted thousands of criminal matters including many of which were high profile. She has prosecuted all types of criminal defendants including those in positions of trust who have violated the law such as parents, a tax collector, a journalist, police officers, clergy, etc. In addition to homicides, the matters she has handled include cases of rape, arson, drug cases, white collar crime, internet crime, crimes against the elderly, crimes against children, etc.
District Attorney Carroll has also had the privilege of successfully arguing before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as well as the Pennsylvania Superior Court on behalf of the Commonwealth.
She has worked hand-in-hand with the United States Department of Justice through the United States Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation throughout the corruption probe in Luzerne County. District Attorney Jackie Musto Carroll was the only Luzerne County official invited to participate in the press conference held by then United States Attorney Martin J. Carlson to announce the federal indictments of the former Luzerne County judges.
She has implemented many changes in the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office regarding the Juvenile Justice System. Some of these significant changes are as follows:
1.Pursuant to Rule 231 and Rule 330 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Juvenile Court Procedure, District Attorney Carroll has elected to require initial receipt and approval or disapproval by the District Attorney’s Office of all Written Allegations brought by police in Luzerne County. New Luzerne County Juvenile Written Allegation procedures have been instituted.
2.She has assigned two specific Assistant District Attorneys to handle all juvenile matters. As such, two experienced attorneys are available to handle Juvenile Court at all times. The training process will continue for any new Assistant District Attorneys following a specific protocol developed within her office.
The Assistant District Attorneys attend and participate in the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Network and have provided input to the PDAA in formulating the Pennsylvania Juvenile Prosecutor Standards.
4.The District Attorney, First Assistant and the two Juvenile Assistant District Attorneys participate in the Court’s Roundtable Discussions held by the Juvenile Court Judge.
5.An Assistant District Attorney has participated in the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Network’s production of a Community Outreach video aimed toward school students. District Attorney Carroll has visited over 20 middle schools and has presented the program to over 8,000 children.
6.The District Attorney has instituted procedures for juvenile discovery.
She worked closely with Judge Arthur Grim, Special Master appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in identifying and notifying the original victims of juveniles who appeared before the former juvenile judge to insure that they received restitution for the crimes committed against them.
District Attorney Carroll is responsible for managing and overseeing the 67 employees of the District Attorney’s staff which consists of twenty-nine assistant district attorneys, ten county detectives, seven members of two Victims’ Units, a Youth Aid Panel Coordinator and twenty support staff. There are also three unions represented in the office which she works closely with.
District Attorney Carroll is a member of the Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Association and the National District Attorney’s Association. She is also a member of the Pittston Kiwanis Club and a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Pittston.
District Attorney Carroll resides in the Greater Pittston area with her husband of twenty-six years, Timothy Carroll and their three sons. She is the daughter of Gerard and Domenica Musto.
For a discussion of initiatives instituted by District Attorney Carroll during her tenure as District Attorney, please visit the “Initiatives” section of her Facebook.