BY DAVID OVALLE • Click here to view the original article on MiamiHerald.com

In their first debate, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernández Rundle and challenger Rod Vereen spared over juvenile justice, police union politics and efforts to combat public corruption.

The two Democrats, who will square off in a defacto winner-take-all primary on Aug. 14, met for an informal debate Wednesday in front of The Miami Herald Editorial Board.

Fernández Rundle, the county’s top prosecutor since 1993, did not draw a Republican or independent opponent. Vereen is a former prosecutor and longtime Miami-Dade criminal defense lawyer.

As it has been in previous races, the theme of public corruption prosecutions dominated the debate.

Vereen has maintained that Fernández Rundle’s office has engaged in “political prosecutions,” and on Tuesday he said her office brings flimsy cases against certain public officials more for headlines than for justice.

He also called her handling of public corruption prosecutions of Arthur Teele, the prominent Miami commissioner who killed him in the lobby of The Miami Herald in 2005, a “travesty of justice.”

“They try to prosecute in the court of public opinion,” Vereen said, referring to a television news interview of a salacious prosecution witness in jail.

Fernández Rundle shot back, rattling off statistics that included 34 convictions of elected officials and the arrests of hundreds of public employees and corrupt cops over her 19 years in office. She said Vereen was “recruited” to run by “an opposition of folks that think we’re far too aggressive, far too active in public corruption.”

Vereen’s campaign is supported by Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence Jones, who was acquitted at trial in a bribery case and had another grand theft case dismissed by prosecutors when the case fell apart. Spence-Jones is also planning to sue Fernández Rundle for “prosecutorial misconduct.”

Vereen has also received support from Republican Congressman David Rivera, who was investigated by Fernández Rundle’s office. Rivera was not charged, but was angered by a final report that nonetheless suggested improprieties.

Vereen denied that he was recruited to run.

The other hot topic Tuesday: support of law enforcement. To no one’s surprise, the Miami-Dade Police Benevolent Association President John Rivera — a longtime nemesis who famously said he would back a “Martian” against Fernández Rundle — is supporting Vereen.

Vereen pointed out that he also has the support of former Miami-Dade Police Director Robert Parker, and “just because I have the backing of the PBA, that does not mean I will turn a blind eye to police misconduct and corruption.”

Fernández Rundle, who is supported by the Fraternal Order of Police, said the relationship between prosecutors and police is thriving, and the “rank-and-file” of the county’s largest police union supports her.

As for juvenile justice, Vereen said prosecutors charge too many minors as adults without properly reviewing evidence.

“Instead of seeing kids thrown into the adult system where they’re treated as adults and sometimes sent off to prison, I prefer to see those kids put into some type of program,” Vereen said.

Fernández Rundle countered by saying that the use of non-criminal civil citations has increased while juvenile arrests have dropped from 22,000 in 1993 to just 7,000 last year.

“In the area of juvenile justice, we have made remarkable strides,” she said.

Vereen also criticized the case of NFL receiver Donté Stallworth, who pleaded guilty in 2009 to DUI manslaughter for running over a pedestrian on the MacArthur Causeway. Stallworth spent one month in jail, and got two years of house arrest and eight years of probation.

Vereen said the plea deal was too lenient — and that Stallworth prevailed because he paid a settlement to the victim’s family.

“Personally, I would not have allowed that,” Vereen said. “I think it sends a message to the community that when you have money, you can avoid incarceration.”

Fernández Rundle bristled at the notion, saying detractors have “twisted” the facts of the case. In reality, she said, the case was not an easy one to win because the pedestrian was not in the crosswalk and his family wanted to avoid a trial that would have replayed video surveillance of the accident.

“The family didn’t want to see their father’s death played over and over again on videotape,” Fernández Rundle said.

Click here to view the original article on BloggingBlackMiami.com.

On the eve of the Florida Democratic Convention in Tampa this weekend, Attorney Rod Vereen, Democratic candidate for Miami-Dade State Attorney, files Miami-Dade Democratic Executive Committee Party Loyalty Complaint against 20-Year Incumbent Kathy Fernandez Rundle.

“I believe that Kathy Rundle has violated her Loyalty to the Democratic Party by word and deed. She has been outspoken in her contempt for having only Democrats vote in a Democratic Primary. She is actively recruiting Republicans to change party to vote for her. Finally, she is informing Republicans that change party to vote for her, that they need not vote for any other Democrat in the general election, including Obama and every other Democrat on the ticket in November. She’s making a mockery of the Democrat Party and should have run for State Attorney as a Republican with integrity”. – Rod Vereen

Kathy Rundle’s campaign website (as of 5/31/12) is actively soliciting Republicans to switch parties to vote for her in the primary and also telling them not to vote for any other Democrat in the general election. She states that a Democratic Primary somehow, “excludes Republican and Independent supporters from voting…in the August 14th, 2012 election, even though it will determine who will be the State Attorney for the next four years. If you want to help re-elect Kathy, you now have only until July 16th, 2012 to register as a Democrat. This will not obligate you to vote for any other Democratic candidate in any future general election.” (www.katherinefernandezrundle.com/voter-information)

Its astonishing that the Democratic Nominee for Miami-Dade State Attorney for the past 20 years is asking Republicans to change party and telling these prospective new Democratic voters not to vote for the President of the United States and the Democratic Ticket in November. All Democratic Candidates for Office in Miami Dade should know that this County Wide Democrat will not support their candidacies. This is an embarrassment to the Florida Democratic Party and on August 14th we will put an end to this mockery. Ms. Rundle has broke ranks with our party and its up to the Miami-Dade Democratic Party to break ranks with her.

The Rod Vereen campaign has formally filed a complaint with the Miami Dade Executive Committee. The Miami Dade DEC Chairman, Richard Lydecker, must forward the complaint to the Rules and By-Laws Committee, which then appoints a Special Committee to investigate and hold a hearing. This hearing will include an invitation to Kathy Rundle and the Rod Vereen Campaign to present evidence where “fundamental fairness shall govern the Special Committee activities” (Miami Dade DEC By-Laws).

On June 4th @ 7pm, Rod Vereen will address the Miami-Dade Democratic Executive Committee at the America Legion Hall post #29, 6445 NE 7th Avenue, Miami, FL