Candidates focus on experience

The candidates for Jay County Prosecutor both focus on their experience as a strength.
One touts his time working in the prosecutor’s office. The other highlights her years serving as a defense attorney.
Two Democrats are squaring off for their party’s nomination for prosecutor as incumbent Wes Schemenaur faces a challenge from Jill Gonzalez.
Schemenaur is in the final year of his first term as prosecutor after defeating Republican Greg LeMaster in the 2010 election following the retirement of long-time prosecutor Robert Clamme. He previously served as deputy prosecutor under Clamme for four years.
It’s that experience in the prosecutor’s office that he says makes him the best candidate for the job.
“And my reputation in the prosecutor’s office has been one of being able to work well with the courts, with law enforcement, with defense attorneys … and being able to handle those tough decisions that come across my desk,” said Schemenaur, a graduate of Jay County High School (1997), Ball State University (bachelor’s degree – 2001) and Ohio Northern University (law degree – 2004). Schemenaur is also an attorney at Hinkle, Racster and Schemenaur in Portland. “I’ve tried to maintain a very good relationship with the schools, with the various organizations in this community to work together because this really is a team effort in a lot of ways … It takes everybody to work together. And I think that’s what sets me apart from other candidates.”
Gonzalez’s experience comes as a criminal defense attorney as she has run her own practice since passing the bar in 2000. She currently runs a criminal defense, divorce and family law practice based in Muncie.
She believes her work defending those accused of crimes would greatly benefit her in the role of prosecutor.
“For the last 14 years I have been very successful at defending criminal defendants,” said Gonzalez, who graduated from Jay County High School (1978), Ball State University (bachelor’s degree – 1998) and Thomas M. Cooley Law School (2000). “And the older I get, the more I see that sometimes it’s not what they’ve done, it’s who’s done it. And I don’t think that’s right. I think if the same person does the same crime and they have fairly the same criminal history, they should be treated the same. And I don’t see that. I see people being protected that shouldn’t be protected. … I think everybody should be treated equally. That’s what the Constitution says.”
The candidates have different views on how the prosecutor’s office should be structured.
If elected, Schemenaur plans to keep the current structure, with him as a part-time prosecutor with a full-time chief deputy and a part-time (one day a week) deputy overseeing child support. Gonzalez plans to serve as a full-time prosecutor with a full-time chief deputy, and said she would also like to see the child support role expanded.
Schemenaur and Gonzalez agreed two of the major challenges facing the Jay County Prosecutor in the next four years will be combating the meth problem and adjusting to the new criminal code that goes into effect July 1.
Indiana ranked No. 1 in meth lab seizures last year, according to state and federal statistics. In Jay County, 17 labs were seized in 2013.
Schemenaur emphasized the dangerous nature of meth, noting that manufacturing the drug creates dangers for entire neighborhoods. Gonzalez pointed to the importance of making sure those who are arrested for meth-related crimes go to prison.
“They taught us exactly how to defend that (at National Criminal Defense College),” said Gonzalez. “I will use what I know to defend it to solve the problem, and I will pass that on to law enforcement.
“It’s a huge problem. … That and heroin are my No. 1 issue. I will use my passion and my determination … to put those people away.”
The new criminal code, which marks the first change since 1977, expands to six levels of felonies from the current four. It also recommends low-level felons serve their time in county jails and requires serious felons to serve 75 percent of their sentences compared to the current 50.
Both candidates referred to the changes as a “huge challenge” for whoever becomes prosecutor, acknowledging the unknowns involved in a new system.
“At least in the first couple of years it’s going to take some time for everybody … to adjust to that,” Schemenaur said. “I see that as being the biggest challenge — getting up to speed; figuring out how this all is going to work.”
Gonzalez hopes to become prosecutor so she can use her experience in the courtroom to serve the citizens of Jay County.
“I have huge trial experience,” she said. “Don’t get me wrong, plea bargains are a necessary evil in this business, but you can’t be afraid to go to trial. I’m not afraid to go to trial. I’ve never been afraid to go to trial.”
Schemenaur said he hopes voters give him the opportunity to continue in his current role.
“I’ve enjoyed my time immensely as prosecutor,” he said. “I look forward to another four years of working with the citizens of the community and making the community safe.”
The winner will take on LeMaster, the only candidate on the Republican ballot, in the general election in November.[[In-content Ad]]