HOWELL, MI - A former judge who’s challenging his job is part of a “good-old-boy” network, Livingston County Prosecutor William Vailliencourt, Jr. said.
In announcing his candidacy for prosecutor on Thursday, April 16, David Reader, former chief judge of the 44th Circuit Court, accused Valliencourt of “turning a blind eye to the powerful and connected” and “continuing senseless prosecutions despite exculpatory evidence because of a win-at-all-costs attitude.”
“I’ve been a strong, effective, and independent prosecutor,” Vailliencourt said in defense on Friday, April 17. “I’m not one of the good-old-boys and the good-old-boy network won’t control the prosecutor’s office as long as I’m prosecutor.”
Reader stepped down as chief judge in April 2019, and had to wait a year before running for a partisan office, per state law. Vailliencourt, has been the county’s prosecutor since January 2013 after becoming an assistant prosecutor in 1995.
'Justice has become lost’ says former Livingston County chief judge running for prosecutor
Both are running as Republicans in the August primary election. The lone Democrat in the race is Ragan Lake, an assistant prosecuting attorney with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office assigned to its Child Abuse Unit.
Vailliencourt’s ability to ignore outside influence and independently assess the seriousness of a crime may have brought him into conflict with Reader and the “good-old-boys" in the past, he said.
“Every case is handled based on the strengths of the case and an assessment of the seriousness of the crime, the impact on the victim, and the criminal history of the offender and is continuously re-evaluated in light of any new information,” Vailliencourt said.
“No offender gets special treatment because of who they are, who they know, or who their lawyer happens to be. And if that means standing up to judges or the good-old-boys, that’s what I’ve done as a strong, effective, and independent prosecutor.”
A specific accusation Reader leveled at Vailliencourt is that he ignores specialty courts or alternative means of justice for veterans, addicts and those suffering mental health issues.
“His only interest was convictions and incarceration," Reader said on Thursday. "That is not justice for all. The prosecutor should know the difference between weakness and evil -- and who society needs protection from, and who just needs to be protected from themselves.”
Vailliencourt said he has tried a variety of methods with the ultimate goal of protecting “the public from those who would victimize our community.”
"I’ve participated personally with the specialty courts and many members of my staff are critical partners in each of our specialty courts, he said. “In addition to my staff receiving constant training at both the state and national level, one of my assistants even served on a statewide task force to help write the guidelines for veteran’s courts across the state.”
Vailliencourt also touted his support from Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy and former Sheriff Bob Bezotte.
The August primary is Aug. 4. Party winners will advance to the general election on Nov. 3.
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‘I’m not in the good-old-boy network,' Livingston County prosecutor says to challenger - MLive.com
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