Candidate for
District Attorney; County of San Luis Obispo

Tim was born in Roseville, California and raised in Bakersfield. He graduated from Bakersfield High School in 1979, and from the University of California, Berkeley in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in Legal Studies. Tim continued his study of law at the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison, while teaching legal research and writing and serving as a clerk intern for the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.

Tim started his legal career as a civil litigator for Pillsbury Madison and Sutro (now Pillsbury Winthrop), representing large corporations and banks in both state and federal courts. He also worked pro bono, representing indigent clients for the San Francisco Public Defender's Office (including trying his first jury trial for the Public Defender's Office).

Driven by his passion for trial work and public service, Tim joined the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office in 1993.

A career prosecutor, in the last 21 years Tim has prosecuted virtually every type of criminal case, including capital murder, and other homicides, three strikes, gang, white collar crime, domestic violence, narcotics, environmental crime and mental health cases, and has litigated in the California Court of Appeals, California Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court (see list of key cases handled below). The District Attorney has also entrusted Tim with investigating and authorizing findings in officer-involved fatalities.

Appointed to office leadership as Chief Deputy District Attorney in 2007, and as Assistant District Attorney in February 2013, Tim is now second in command to the District Attorney, and is the acting District Attorney in the absence of the elected District Attorney. In the last seven years, Tim has supervised trial attorneys, managed nearly every aspect of the office's day-to-day operations and worked closely with allied agencies on the many issues facing law enforcement in the County.

Tim and his wife, Sue, live in the City of San Luis Obispo, where they have raised their daughters, Zoe, a sophomore at Penn State University, and Olivia, a senior at San Luis Obispo High School. Tim is an avid outdoorsman, a native plant enthusiast and hunts with his father and Labrador retriever every chance he gets.

LEADERSHIP AND EXPERIENCE

• Supervises and manages day to day operations of nearly every division of the District Attorney operations (since 2006)
• Directly involved with establishing District Attorney policies and procedures for 7 years
• Assisted the District Attorney's office navigate the most challenging budget issues in the last 20 years.
• Prosecuted SLO County's first cold hit murder case
• Prosecuted SLO County's first organized retail crime case
• Prosecuted SLO County's first white collar crime elder abuse case

People v. Hill, Wisto, York, Miller and Greenwell. This 2013 jury trial involved conspiracy and the torture murder of 15 year old Dystiny Myers by a self-styled methamphetamine dealing ring. All five defendants were convicted of murder, with four sentenced to life without parole.

People v. Peter Derks. The Derks case was San Luis Obispo County's first cold hit murder case that involved a 20 year old unsolved murder and sexual assault of a young college student using the most advanced DNA evidence. In partnership with the San Luis Obispo County's Sheriff's Detective Bureau and the California Department of Justice, Tim litigated complex issues, including to the California Supreme Court, ultimately resulting in conviction on all counts and a sentence of life without parole.

People v. Weyand, McCulloch and McCulloch. In 2003, Tim participated in the joint investigation of the murder for hire of National Guardsman Michael Sotelo, with the Army Criminal Investigative Division and the Paso Robles Police Department. He ultimately tried 3 defendants for conspiracy in connection with the murder. All three defendants were convicted and sentenced to state prison for life without parole.

People v. Vasquez, Mejia. In 2006, Tim tried San Luis Obispo County's first conspiracy case involving national and multinational organized retail crime theft rings. The only defendant to go to trial was convicted and sentenced to the maximum sentence in state prison. Tim was subsequently invited to present at a national conference of the National District Attorney's Association on the subject of organized retail crime.

People v. Rex Allen Krebs. Now Judge John Trice and Tim prosecuted Rex Allen Krebs for the brutal murder of two San Luis Obispo County college students. Tim worked with one of the largest law enforcement task forces assembled in the history of San Luis Obispo County that included, among other agencies, the San Luis Obispo Police Department, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff, CDCR State Parole Division, The Department of Justice Sexual Predator Apprehension Team, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the District Attorney's Office. Tim was responsible for presentation of all scientific and forensic evidence and witnesses, and all constitutional litigation and pre-trial appellate litigation, including opposing Krebs' petition for a writ of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court.

People v. Basquez. A three strikes case in which DNA evidence was complicated by the fact that the defendant had an identical twin brother with identical DNA.

People v. Cabral. A second degree murder case in Atascadero in which the defendant stabbed a sleeping victim repeatedly.

People v. Cornelius. The Paso Robles murder of Joe Cornelius by his brother Ted Cornelius, who shot Joe 5 times in the back with a rifle.

People v. Patlan, DeLeon, et al. A five defendant gang home invasion case arising out of Grover Breach.

People v. Green. In Green, Tim defended a police officer's decision to enter a defendant's home at night without a search warrant to check on the welfare of a reported child abuse victim. He litigated the case to the California Court of Appeal, which published an opinion that settled an officer's right to make such entry and further defined the circumstance that would qualify as a crime of resisting or delaying an officer in the course of his or her duties.

REAL SOLUTIONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY

• With County IT, responsible for the District Attorney's 2 year project to automate the office's case management system and improve the flow of information to allied agencies. The system went live in November 2013.
• Developed an electronic search warrant form and procedure for use by SLO County police agencies and the California Highway Patrol in DUI cases, radically shortening the time it takes an officer in the field to get a warrant. Implemented 2013.
• Advocated for Drug Court and was a member of the San Luis Obispo County Drug Court Multi-Disciplinary Planning Team from 1996-1997. Drug Court has since become the oldest, largest and most successful treatment court in San Luis Obispo County.
• Supervised, and was responsible for, the development of District Attorney policies and procedures for Veteran's Treatment Court, San Luis Obispo County's newest treatment court.
• Working on multi-disciplinary team to develop a Community Court to address issues of homelessness and mental illness in the criminal justice system.
• Developing a comprehensive diversion program for first time misdemeanor offenders.

• Created District Attorney's Law Enforcement Liaison Program (2001)
• Created the District Attorney's Reverse Ride Along Program for new police officers (2001)
• District Attorney liaison to San Luis Obispo County Superior Court
• District Attorney liaison to the San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury
• District Attorney representative to County IT Executive Steering Committee
• District Attorney representative to County Behavioral Health Oversight Committee
• Member California District Attorney Association

• Award of Merit Medal and Commendation for Valuable Service to the Community and Distinction in the Administration of Justice (November 2003), awarded by City of El Paso de Paso Robles
• Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for Outstanding and Invaluable Service to the Community (December 2001) awarded by Lois Capps, Member of the United States Congress
• Certificate of Recognition (November 2001) awarded by California State Assembly, Abel Maldonado, Member of the Assembly
• Certificate of Recognition (November 2001) awarded by California State Senate, Jack O'Connell, Senator
• Distinguished Service Award (November 2001) awarded by the City of San Luis Obispo Public Safety Committee and the Chief of Police