LaWall-Roach race won't be a snoozer

The contest for Pima County attorney will be one of the most interesting – and heated – races on the November ballot.

Democrat Barbara LaWall, who has held the office for 12 years, is being challenged by Republican Brad Roach.

There are understandable undertones to the race. Roach worked for LaWall as a prosecutor until 2004. LaWall moved to fire Roach after Bradley Alan Schwartz was arrested in the slaying of eye doctor Brian Stidham. LaWall said Roach withheld information that police should have known.

LaWall eventually downgraded Roach's suspension to 15 days without pay. The county’s Merit Commission reduced that to a written reprimand and Roach resigned to become a defense attorney.



Barbara LaWall and Brad Roach meet with the Tucson Citizen Editorial Board

In an often-acrimonious meeting with the Tucson Citizen Editorial Board this week, Roach accused LaWall of making political decisions about which cases to take to trial.  Roach said if a case is “not interesting” and doesn’t interest the media, a plea agreement is more likely.

LaWall sharply disagreed, calling Roach’s claims “outrageous.”

She said cases that interest the media usually are high-profile violent crimes. She takes those cases she to trial not because they interest the media, but because she wants harsh sentences, LaWall said.

LaWall called Roach “totally unqualified to be county attorney” and said his involvement in the Schwartz/Stidham case represented “a terrible, terrible failing of integrity.”

And Roach said the County Attorney’s Office has high turnover “because of a lack of leadership.”

This will be a very lively race.