Ortiz-Legg has 2, not 1, criminal convictions

October 2, 2016
Dawn Ortiz-Legg

Dawn Ortiz-Legg

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Assembly District 35 candidate Dawn Ortiz-Legg has been arrested and convicted twice, San Luis Obispo County Superior Court records show. Ortiz-Legg, who has attacked her opponent Jordan Cunningham for his criminal defense work, has opted to conceal her criminal record, or only partially divulge it, when asked about it publicly.

San Luis Obispo police arrested Ortiz-Legg for drunk driving in 2001, court records show. Then, in 2005, SLO County sheriff’s deputies arrested her for a marijuana offense. Ortiz-Legg pleaded guilty to one count of possession of marijuana under an ounce.

The court records contradict a claim that Ortiz-Legg made in a debate last month. They also call into question Ortiz-Legg’s attempts to paint her opponent as someone responsible for local crime, critics say.

During a recent debate on KPRL, Ortiz-Legg said she had never been convicted of a crime. She then backtracked and admitted to having a drunk driving offense in 2001. She made no mention, however, of her 2005 arrest and conviction.

“I don’t think I have been charged or convicted of a crime,” Ortiz-Legg said in response to a question from a KPRL caller. “Um, I did have a drunk driving offense back in 2001 that I am really happy that I had that experience because, you know, it was a type of thing where you learn, like wow, a couple of glasses of wine, a good thing I know now. Don’t let that happen again, so that’s it.”

Ortiz-Legg did not respond to a question about her marijuana arrest, nor did she respond when asked why she opted not to mention the drug offense during the debate.

Ortiz-Legg’s campaign and the California Democratic Party have launched fabricated attacks on Cunningham, a Republican. Cunningham previously worked as a SLO County prosecutor and now runs his own law practice.

The California Democratic Party sent out a slate mailer that describes Cunningham as a slick criminal defense lawyer who has defended hundreds of criminals.

To press its point, the mailer claimed that in 2012, Cunningham defended a man who attacked his girlfriend and threatened to kill her with a butcher knife. The mailer included a photo that appears to be a scan of a court document showing Cunningham was the attorney on the case.

Jordan Cunningham

Jordan Cunningham

“Jordan Cunningham got him a plea deal so he could get back on the street,” the mailer read.

However, the alleged court document was a fabrication.

Cunningham did not defend the man referenced in the mailer, San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow said.

Rather than acknowledging its fabrication effort, the state Democratic Party apologized for getting the year wrong. Cunningham recently defended the man from the 2012 case on a drug charge.

“We apologize if we did not include the correct dates for when Jordan Cunningham, as a criminal defense attorney, represented a man who attacked his girlfriend and threatened to kill her with a knife. He was certainly representing this brutal criminal by August 2015,” Chris Masami Myers, the executive director of the state Democratic Party said in a statement.

Myers went on to demand that Cunningham apologize to the public for defending the man.

Persons charged with crimes are entitled to counsel, according to the U.S. Constitution. That includes the man cited in the campaign mailer.

“We are not making claims about the Constitution, but the voters have a right to know about a candidate’s work history,” Myers said in response to a question about whether the state Democratic Party supports criminal defendants’ rights to legal representation.

Ortiz-Legg’s attacks on defense attorneys are more than a little hypocritical, Cunningham said.

“My opponent is lying again, probably to distract the voters from her own criminal history. It’s shameful. The Central Coast deserves better,” Cunningham said.

 

California Democratic Party mailer by CalCoastNews on Scribd


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Concerning the Dawn Ortiz-Legg campaign: Has anyone ever seen a campaign spend so much money to completely destroy their own candidate’s credibility? I think it’s called Karma.


Here’s a picture: Dawn Legg-Ortiz standing in the hall outside a committee hearing trying to get support for her bill from colleagues and opponents, most of whom are LAWYERS!


The last part of Dawn’s closing statement during her KRPL interview:


“I’m the one who actually can go to Sacramento and bring something home and represent this district in a FAIR, HONEST AND WITH ALL THE INTEGRITY manner.”


I taped 3/4 of the interview & have re-listened to part of it.

During this campaign, Dawn hasn’t shown fairness, honor or ANY integrity–let alone “all” of it!


A couple of glasses of wine? How about being falling down drunk at 2:00 in the morning driving downtown with your head lights off when you were pulled over. The pot was found in your luggage as you tried to board a plane at SLO airport and you were accompanied by your daughter. And you think you have the integrity to represent SLO County? Jordan has a legitimate graduate degree, he is very articulate and he has the education and background to go to Sacramento and authentically represent the citizens of SLO County. Politician wannabes should not throw stones when they live in glass houses.


Glass grow houses


Dawn, go away, you’re no good for us

Oh, Dawn, stay away, no one will vote for you

Head on (Head on)

Head on head on… please go away

Think (think) what a politician you’d be

Think (think) how’d you’d be in the Assembly

Now think what the state would be with a liar like you


Dawn, go away

Please go away

Although we know

You want to stay

Dawn, go away

Please go away


Dawn, go away, you’re no good for us

Dawn, go away, you’re no good for us

Dawn, go away, you’re no good for us

Dawn, go away, you’re no good for us

Dawn


Dawn Ortiz-Legg is so dishonest it is ridiculous. I don’t understand how someone could even consider voting for her.


How? Just look at what is happening on the National level and you can fully understand that anything is possible!


Perhaps D O-L feels animosity toward those who are employed in a legal system that overlooked her wonderfulness and branded her a convicted criminal [in spite of the joy she experienced with her DUI arrest].


Her reality is skewed. We all make mistakes but not all of us wallow in it or point outwardly to fix blame for our own actions.


Ahem…who will say anything to get elected? I have yet to hear a negative thing from Cunningham himself. Only thing Ive heard and seen from legg is are twisted untruths. Deception makes a person look like a fool Legg.


Ladies & Gentlemen,


With all due respect, this campaign is getting weirder and weirder by the day. Sad.


Of all the dumb things Dawn Ortiz-Legg has done, I think the single thing I take the most exception to is her dating Adam Hill. Above all else, her association with Adam Hill disqualifies her as a viable candidate for the state legislature.


Let’s examine what we know of Dawn Ortiz-Leggs judgement.


Drunk driving? Many people have driven drunk.

Smoked marijuana? Many people have smoked pot.

Lied about her criminal history? Politicians tell all sorts of lies.

Accused the American people of being guilty of war crimes? Typical Democrat.

Picketed at Veteran’s Hospitals? Unwarranted, but constitutional.


Associating with Adam Hill? UNFORGIVABLE. Get the Rope.


On Election Day, Tuesday, November 8,,vote Jordan Cunningham to represent us.


Just saying,


Josey