[GPCA Updates] ADVISORY: Green Attorney General Candidate Charges Only He Is Fully Qualified to be AG

[Green Party of California Updates]

NEWS ADVISORY


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 22, 2010
Contact: Peter Allen  info at peterallenforag.com
http://peterallenforag.blogspot.com/



Democratic, Republican Attorney General candidates
not fully qualified to serve California, charges
environmental attorney, Green Party candidate Peter Allen

SAN FRANCISCO – California Attorney General candidates Steve Cooley and
Kamala Harris are not fully qualified to serve as the state's leading
attorney, according to independent Green Party AG candidate Peter Allen,
an experienced civil litigator and prosecutor who has worked on major
securities fraud and environmental cases.

Allen says that while Cooley and Harris have criminal law experience,
they do not have the needed experience in civil litigation, consumer
advocacy, energy law, environmental law, financial and securities fraud
litigation, telecommunications law or administrative law.

In fact, in eight key practice categories, Cooley and Harris have
experience in only one area, while Allen has experience in all eight
(see chart below or http://peterallenforag.blogspot.com/)

  “People tend to think of the Attorney General as California’s criminal
prosecutor. But the reality is that criminal prosecution is only a small
part of the Attorney General’s job.  The Attorney General represents
California in many different types and areas of law,” said Allen.

Allen notes that Cooley, the Republican candidate for Attorney General,
and Harris, the Democratic candidate, have only been prosecutors in
local district attorneys’ offices. They have little or no experience in
the other types of law required of the Attorney General, such as civil
litigation and administrative law.

Allen currently works for California on statewide energy and
environmental issues, and has a much wider variety of legal experience.

“I have been a prosecutor, administrative law judge, and consumer
advocate, and I have worked to help victims of the savings and loan
crisis and the California energy crisis. That breadth of experience has
given me a valuable perspective on the range of legal issues facing
California and its residents," said Allen, noting a broad range of
experience in more than 20 years of law practice.

Allen has worked on major environmental cases, including the Exxon
Valdez oil spill and represented residential and small business
ratepayers against big utilities.

-30-

Candidates’ Experience*	

                         Peter Allen     Steve Cooley    Kamala Harris
			
Civil Litigation        x               none            none		
Consumer Advocacy       x               none            none
Criminal Prosecution    x               x               x
Energy Law              x               none            none		
Environmental Law       x               none            none	
Financial/Securities
Fraud Litigation        x               ?               ?
Judge/Admin Law Judge   x               none            none	
Telecommunications Law  x               none            none	
			


* Based on information on the candidates' web sites.