To the Editor: I am writing to express my support for Manny Nneji as Ulster County’s next district attorney. Nneji's commitment to tackling violent crime, ensuring public safety and upholding the law is what our community needs.

I want a district attorney who protects us from violent crime without sacrificing our due process or Constitutional rights. Nneji holds violent offenders to account while honoring these rights. Nneji’s opponent, Michael Kavanagh, has shown he cannot balance these goals. Kavanagh called for the immediate incarceration of students involved in an attack on another student at Kingston High School before all evidence was gathered. While the attack was indeed horrific, it exposed Kavanagh's tendencies toward knee-jerk reactions. Take it from the City of Kingston police’s statement issued the day after Kavanagh’s call for arrest: “Prematurely charging a suspect can in some cases lead to lesser charges being filed and preclusion of the possibility of filing more serious charges. Additionally, in juvenile cases, special prosecutors and special courts have to be brought into the process.”

We rely on the decisions that the DA makes to protect our future, both by prosecuting those who are threatening us and by doing the work to ensure that all cases are thoroughly investigated.

Especially when it comes to cases involving children, we need a leader with the capacity for good judgment, understanding of the law and a commitment to fairness and justice for all members of the community.

Penny Coleman

Rosendale