ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, December 10, 1996 TAG: 9612100104
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Landmark News Service
Striking a balance between punishment and prevention, Arlington lawyer Bill Dolan declared ``It's time for new priorities'' Monday as he launched his second bid for attorney general of Virginia.
``When Virginia's primary answer to juvenile crime is adult punishment, it is time for new priorities,'' Dolan, 53, said at the Omni Waterside in the first of three days' worth of announcements across the state.
He continued, ``When Mr. Jefferson's Virginia will borrow billions to build prisons, but cannot sufficiently fund education, it is time for new priorities.'' Dolan called for more efforts to prevent crime. But he also said he would ``promote legislation creating the death penalty for these drug kingpins.'' Dolan is an Arlington lawyer who ran for attorney general in 1993 against Republican Jim Gilmore and lost.
He is the only state Democrat so far to declare his interest in the attorney general's office.
In Norfolk, Dolan is known for having prosecuted General District Court Judge Joseph Campbell in 1990 on a forgery charge for changing the name on a traffic ticket.
Campbell was convicted, but the conviction later was overturned and he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge. He lost his judgeship.
After last summer, Dolan may be better known as the father of Tom Dolan, who won a gold medal in swimming at the Atlanta Olympics, the first gold medal won by an American at the 1996 games.
In his announcement Monday, Dolan said Virginia's sentencing guidelines on drug possession should be changed to recommend prison time for individuals convicted of possessing large amounts of drugs. Possession of smaller amounts also should be prosecuted, he said, but the penalties should be creative alternatives to prison.
He spent several minutes stressing that the state should pursue both punishment and prevention as a realistic approach to controlling crime.
``We can talk tough about punishing criminals, and mean it,'' he said. ``But we must also talk tough about prevention and mean it.
``We will punish the guilty, protect the innocent, and more importantly, do all we can to prevent the next person from becoming the next victim.'' Dolan spoke approvingly of community policing, curfews and school uniforms. He also said he would ask more retired Virginians, including military retirees, to coach and mentor young people.
A former chairman of the state's Community College Board, Dolan said the state needs to recognize the value of the community college system in helping Virginians develop new skills and find jobs.
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: NHAT MEYER Staff. Bill Dolan speaks at a news conferenceby CNBannouncing his bid for attorney general at the the Virginia Western
Community College student center. KEYWORDS: POLITICS ATTORNEY GENERAL