While former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas would prosecute...well...just about anybody, a little-known candidate in this year's election for Andy's old office tells New Times he'd take a slightly different approach.
Michael Kielsky, the Libertarian for Maricopa County Attorney, says he wouldn't prosecute prostitutes, people who hire prostitutes, or people who smoke weed.
"Where's the harm?" Kielsky asks.
Kielsky says, as long as everyone involved is a consenting adult, he doesn't see how the public interest is damaged by allowing people to smoke weed in their homes or pay for sex with a prostitute.
"Government is for the protection of individual rights," he says. "I may not agree that smoking weed or hiring a prostitute is morally OK, but it's not hurting anyone."
Kielsky says he would only use the resources of the office to go after crimes that have "real victims" -- something, he says, differentiates him from his opponents.
"Bill Montgomery [the Republican nominee in the race] would make a great neighbor, but I don't want him as my county attorney," Kielsky says. "He thinks it's OK to use the power of government to punish people for things he feels are immoral."
Kielsky is no fan of SB 1070, either, and says if elected he wouldn't prosecute people arrested under the law.
"I would do nothing to enforce it," Kielsky says.
Kielsky cites several legal problems with the statute, saying it only puts law enforcement in a bad spot.
He also says it deters resources from pursuing more-serious criminals.
"Why are we going and doing sweeps in neighborhoods to arrest illegals," he says. "Why not use these sweeps to round up murderers and rapists?"
