Candidate Interview: Mike Goetz for OC Prosecutor (video)
(Crystal A. Proxmire, May 2, 2016)
Lake Orion, MI – A former Assistant Prosecutor is running for Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney against his former boss.  Lake Orion resident Mike Goetz will be on the ballot against the incumbent Democrat Jessica Cooper who was elected in 2008.  Election Day is Nov. 8, 2016.
When asked if he’d run for office before, Goetz said “Never.  I’ve never had any desire to run for public office.  I’ve never had any thoughts about it. It was only until I saw some, what I considered to be bad things, happening within the confines of that office… that I made the conscious decision to say ‘somebody’s got to stand up and things have to change.
“I’ve tried everything from homicide cases, car jackings, armed robberies to the lowest retail fraud shoplifting.  I don’t think there’s any type of case I’ve not taking into court and tried before a jury.  I’ve always considered myself a violent crime guy… to me that is when you’re doing the most good in society, you’re taking somebody who victimized someone whether by killing them, robbing them, raping them and you’re taking them off the streets and putting them in prison.  I can honestly say in 28 years I have never lost a moments sleep by putting somebody in prison that actually deserved to be there.
“Part of the job though is also making sure that somebody who didn’t do a crime isn’t wrongfully prosecuted. There are many vetting processes along the way…Prosecutors have a very special ethical responsibility no other lawyer has, the ethical responsibility is to do justice. …It means if you have a reasonable certainty that somebody didn’t commit a crime then you’re under ethical duty not to continue to prosecute them.”
In his interview with oc115, Goetz talked about his 28 years of legal experience including his 12 years in the Oakland County Prosecutor’s office, four of which were with Cooper at the helm.  He talked about changes he would make including bringing a K9 program in to help youth who are having trouble opening up as witnesses or victims and having more training for prosecutors in the office.

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This post will be updated with the links to the interviews of other candidates as they become available.
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Learn more about this candidate’s campaign at: http://votemikegoetz.com/.
Note:  This story was updated when another Republican candidate, Jim O’Donnell, withdrew from the race.