Three seek county prosecutor's job

Three local attorneys still have their names in the running as potential successors of Yakima County Prosecutor Ron Zirkle, with one candidate this week dropping out of the competition and another one jumping in.

Mike Laws, a former county deputy prosecutor who now prosecutes cases for the city of Yakima, said Wednesday he won't pursue the job this year.

Meanwhile, Jim Hagarty, an assistant U.S. attorney in Yakima, formally announced his interest. And county deputy prosecutors Ken Ramm and Troy Clements also confirmed Wednesday that they still want Zirkle's post.

Zirkle plans to retire in December after almost 30 years with the prosecutor's office. Because his four-year term doesn't expire until 2010, county commissioners will appoint an interim successor, who would have to stand for election next year to serve out the final year of Zirkle's term.

The position will pay an annual salary next year of $148,832.

The Yakima County Republican Central Committee will submit three names to county commissioners later this year. Zirkle is a Republican.

Chairman Jim Keightley said the committee will put together a schedule for interviews and a ranking of applicants.

Laws, who worked under Zirkle for eight years, said the timing isn't right, adding he may have more interest in a judicial position.

He joined the city attorney's office in June.

Hagarty, 58, has been a federal prosecutor since 2001, following two years as Klickitat County prosecutor.

He said Yakima Valley law enforcement officers had expressed frustration with delays in prosecuting criminal cases. Hagarty said he would change that, adding he has experience as a prosecuting attorney.

Hagarty said one goal is to reduce reliance on continuances and either reach plea deals or go to trial.

Among the three attorneys who've expressed interest in Zirkle's job, Ramm, 48, is the longest-serving deputy prosecutor with more than 20 years of experience. He said he, too, wants to end continuances. Ramm said he is serving on a committee working to reduce court congestion. He said his priority is prosecuting crimes that affect residents the most.

"I'd like to emphasize residential burglary cases and get tougher on crimes that affect the average citizen," Ramm said. "I will work with law enforcement to help get those cases developed so they are better presented to a jury."

Clements, the son of former state Sen. Jim Clements, is a senior deputy prosecutor and has been a member of the staff for nearly five years.

The 33-year-old attorney said he would reorganize the office into teams that each would handle a group of crimes with a focus on chronic, long-term offenders.

"These are the people we need to take a look at and distribute cases with an eye to focus on getting those people convicted," Clements said. "A lot of the crime we see is committed by a small handful of people who come back into the system."

* David Lester can be reached at 577-7674 or dlester@yakimaherald.com.