SAN FRANCISCO -- The top prosecutor in Northern California's remote Del Norte County has been suspended without pay after a judge recommended he be disbarred.
The Del Norte Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in a closed session to suspend District Attorney Jon Alexander, the Sacramento Bee http://bit.ly/12qQs0W reported Friday.
"This is a historical day - a tough day for Del Norte County," Del Norte County Supervisor Roger Gitlin told the newspaper. "(Alexander) is a very generous man in his public service. But it doesn't excuse this kind of behavior."
The suspension comes after State Bar Judge Lucy Armendariz recommended that Alexander be disbarred after concluding Alexander had violated three rules of prosecutorial conduct - communication with a represented party, moral turpitude and suppression of evidence.
The judge ordered Alexander placed on inactive status, meaning he will not be able to practice law in California as of Sunday, pending a possible appeal, said Laura Ernde, a spokeswoman for the State Bar of California. The state Supreme Court has final say on the matter but generally approves State Bar court decisions, she said.
Alexander said in a statement he is considering his options, including giving up his job.
He said he was "persecuted" and accused the Bar's Office of Chief Trial Counsel of going after him with "petty charges, discredited complaints and witnesses, and prejudicial statements and leaks to the media."
"This case has unfortunately evolved into a loss, both for me and the people of Del Norte County," Alexander said.
Alexander was a recovering methamphetamine addict when he was elected to office in 2010 after running a campaign with the slogan "death to meth."
He has previously said he was a victim of small-town politics and political enemies made during the contentious and close election. He defeated the incumbent and another candidate by 93 votes in a run-off after spending $100,000 to his opponents' $20,000 for a job that pays $84,000 annually.
With Alexander suspended, Assistant District Attorney Katherine Micks will take over the district attorney's responsibilities.
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