Friday, February 4, 2005
Page 3
ADDA President Ipsen To Be Honored by Deputy Sheriffs’ Group Tonight
By a MetNews Staff Writer
The Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs is poised to honor Deputy District Attorney Steven Ipsen at a downtown banquet tonight.
Ipsen, president of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys and a member of the State Bar Board of Governors, is to be one of two recipients of the Civilian Leadership Award when it is presented at ALADS’ annual awards banquet. The other recipient is Henry T. Nicholas III, co-founder of Broadcom Corporation.
ALADS will also honor several deputy sheriffs and district attorney investigators for “exemplary performance, bravery, outstanding leadership and outstanding commitments to public safety,” the organization said in a press release.
Ipsen and Nicholas will be honored for their efforts to defeat Proposition 66, an initiative that would have significantly narrowed the scope of California’s Three-Strikes Law.
Proposition 66 appeared to be on the way to easy passage as late as four weeks before the election, when the Field California Poll showed it 47 points ahead. Nicholas, whose sister was murdered by her boyfriend 20 years ago, was recruited to fund an anti-66 campaign by former Gov. Pete Wilson just two weeks before the election, contributing about $4 million to the effort.
Ipsen, ALADS said, “logged months of tireless work rallying deputy district attorneys around the state and assisting crime victims’ groups to get the word out.” He highlighted a campaign piece in the form of a newspaper called The Insider and set up a website, whyamidead.com, chronicling what were said to be misrepresentations by supporters of the initiative as to who the measure would actually affect.
The newspaper and website detailed the history of a number of violent, repeat offenders whom opponents said had received 25-year-to-life sentences but could have been released under Proposition 66 because their third “strikes” were non-serious, non-violent felonies.
Proposition 66 was defeated, receiving less than 47 percent of the vote, after all of California’s living governors opposed it. One of those, Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, is seeking the Democratic nomination for attorney general and is expected to be in attendance tonight, ALADS said.
The banquet is at the Bonaventure Hotel and begins at 6 p.m.
Copyright 2005, Metropolitan News Company