ATTORNEY GENERAL WILL OFFER DRUG-FIGHT ASSISTANCE

Attorney General Jay Nixon announced Saturday the creation of a Drug Prosecution Task Force in his office, which will be a team of experienced prosecutors ready to assist local authorities in drug cases.

Creation of the task force was a promise he made during his campaign last year. Nixon made the announcement at a luncheon speech in Cape Girardeau, hosted by the area chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police. Law enforcement officers from around the area attended the event.

"The most significant battle facing this state is drugs," said Nixon, adding that a key to getting the drug problem under control is to coordinate efforts.

By having the attorney general's office providing staff assistance, Nixon said no county in the state will lack the kind of support needed to deal with drug cases. And, with the cooperation of prosecutors, police officers, and his office, Nixon said, "The full extent and power of the state of Missouri will be in the courtroom to fight drugs."

Nixon's comments to about 100 law enforcement officials Saturday marked the first speech he has given since becoming attorney general on Jan. 11. Since taking office, Nixon said he has been working long hours to take over the office.

Taking up most of his time initially has been trying to get the 2nd Injury Fund under control, Nixon said. He pointed out that last week the Missouri House approved a reappropriation of $1.7 million to begin the in-house defense of the fund.

Nixon said he was going to get away from the practice of his predecessor, William Webster, of hiring outside counsel to defend the fund. Nixon said he anticipates Senate approval of the reappropriation by Thursday, which will put the money in place to hire staff attorneys.

The change in the handling of 2nd injury fund cases will likely result in an increase of attorneys working out of the attorney general's satellite office in Jackson, Nixon said later at a press conference.

The office, opened by Webster in 1987, has had one attorney in the past. Alan Moss, who served as an assistant for about 16 months, was not retained by Nixon.

But the new attorney general said he planned to replace Moss and stressed that cases being handled by the office were not going unattended. Two members of his staff have been working in the Jackson office to monitor cases, he said.

"The efforts down here will not take one slip because of the change here," promised Nixon.

He said there are a number of staff positions to be filled and that his office is "aggressively trying to see we have the best and the brightest."

By taking the 2nd injury fund in-house, Nixon said there will be a second attorney in Jackson and probably another one working out of the office on a part-time basis.

Nixon said that while the 2nd injury fund is a top priority of his right now, he is hoping that by a year from now the scandal will no longer be a front page story. He said efforts were being made to make corrections "as quickly and effectively as possible."

Nixon was accompanied by Ted Bruce, who, he announced, will head his drug strike force. Bruce, 35, has worked 11 years with the attorney general's office and has been deputy chief counsel for the criminal division since 1989.

Bruce has psychology and business degrees from Murray State University and earned his law degree from St. Louis University.

"Ted has been a statewide special prosecutor and has worked with law enforcement at all levels. He is an excellent choice to coordinate Missouri's war on drugs," Nixon said.

"Ted and his team will provide investigative and courtroom assistance to local prosecutors to help them put the guilty in jail. I have full confidence that the strike force will be as successful as the existing attorney general's death penalty unit."

Bruce, who was working out of the Jackson office Friday, said he looked forward to the challenge of his new assignment.

"I am grateful the attorney general has confidence in me to appoint me to a position that was a priority of his campaign," said Bruce.

Nixon said the public does not understand lack of coordination between agencies in dealing with drugs. "Certainly a lack of coordination weakens the war on crime," commented Nixon.

The attorney general told the crowd that he would continue to work with them on legislation that would make it legal to carry concealed weapons, which will likely be proposed again this year.

He also pledged to work together for increased training for law enforcement officers and to end the "overuse" of appeal bonds for violent criminals.

"Even if we doubled the training requirements that we have, it would still be the lowest in the nation," said Nixon.

He said he wanted to see that violent criminals remained in jail during the appeals process. "There have been too many times where people convicted of violent crimes walk out of the courthouse with the people on the jury who just convicted them," said Nixon. "That is simply wrong."