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Tuesday, October 26, 2004 - 08:14 PM
His father told him, “Hey, man: if you want to go into law to make money, don’t do it; be a used car salesman.”
By Michael D. Altman
It’s pronounced Fuh-non, but that isn’t important. Not in what has become a bizarre campaign of write-in candidate against write-in candidate for one of the most prestigious offices in the state of Ohio. This race is of the sort we are likely never to see again. For the candidates, their first name isn’t important, but their last name is as important as whether or not they have a head.
Fanon Rucker
Photo M. Meldon Jr.
QCF magazine |
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So Rucker will probably forgive you if you mispronounce his name as if it rhymed with Shannon or Cannon. He would however insist that you spell the last name correctly.
Fanon Rucker is truly a son of Gary Ind., coming from a very poor family, his father was the oldest of 12, his grandfather, the oldest of 13. His father was the first in his family to go to college. He became the first African American Supreme Court Justice in the state of Indiana.
Having moved from Gary, located just outside of Chicago, a Democratic stronghold, he graduated from the Law School of the University of Cincinnati. Today, he sits on the cusp of seizing the County Prosecutor’s seat in Hamilton County. He would be the first non-republican in over 70 years; a far cry from the atmosphere in his working class home.
Why is he the most important candidate? Simply put: The men currently in power have done everything possible to abuse their positions and show how little they think of the value of their office. The lame duck county prosecutor, Mike Allen, has admittedly had a sexual relationship with one of his subordinates. Allen publicly chastised then President Bill Clinton for the same offense, while Allen was beginning his four-year rendezvous.
The man running against Rucker, Joe Deters, current State Treasurer of Ohio, is tied to the scandal in which State contracts were given in exchange for campaign contributions. In fact, two of his subordinates, including Deters' chief of staff have been indicted in the scandal.
Additionally, one of the men indicted is now consulting Deters' campaign for prosecutor to the tune of $45,000 this year (Cincinnati Post 10/28).
Ultimately, it IS a question of what responsibility means.
Rucker tells us why he is in the race for the prosecutor’s office, what got him in the race and what skills he looks to use to mend the division in Hamilton County.
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Queen City Forum magazine: Why didn’t you run on the original ticket for County Prosecutor?
Fanon Rucker: I had approached the party (several) months before, expressing an interest in doing it. I got a ton of support. I was coming out and there was no (Mike Allen) scandal, just me believing that there was an opportunity for some change to be made in this county having been involved in these issues. I knew where the source of a lot of our problems were. I was going to put it out there and do it and see where the cards fell. But I had some personal issues I had to tend to. I had to look introspectively, talk to some mentors and… I pulled myself out of it. And I kick myself (for that) everyday…
I (was and) am going through a divorce. At that time, I wanted to focus on that issue. I didn’t file until after that, but I wanted to try to focus on… I have two little ones, two little beautiful, intelligent, funniest kids in the world. My wife and I were going through a difficult time and, like I said, I regret the situation, I said, “Let me step away from this and try to let me deal (with marital troubles) here and try to pull myself out.”
QCF: Does the tabloid-esque culture of Cincinnati worry you? Do you worry about your kids getting rolled into it?
FR: Of course, and what has been absolutely amazing – before I stepped into (the prosecutors race) this time, I was in prayer and meditation about it. And I stepped (into the race) because after praying about it, it was clear to me that I needed to move forward with this.
My wife is very supportive. She has said, “I’m willing to help with whatever you need.” She has come to the fundraisers, she’s come to the rallies… she knows this is something I have always wanted. It has been something I (have been) concerned about, but at the same time, unfortunately I’m not in all that different of a place (with the divorce) than 50% of the country.
I don’t think this race should be in any way about either my personal life or Joe (Deters’) personal life. It should be about who is going to get the office and who is going to go about the business of restoring public trust in the system.
I never had any aspirations while I was in law school or early on in my legal career to be the prosecutor, but I have it in my history. I was with the city prosecutor’s office from the first day I started practicing law. (I was) in court trying cases, involving myself with police officers, defense attorneys, prosecutors and judges. And then, after leaving the city, continuing as a prosecutor for villages, law director for a village … (There) is kind of a natural progression.
Somebody asked me (in reference to running for County Prosecutor), “How are you going to go from practicing law as a litigator, back to prosecutor.” It’s not “back to.” As a foot soldier prosecutor, I try cases every day, (however) I don’t have that much decision-making authority. I have to follow the policy that the (structure) heads enforce. As an attorney practicing plaintiff and defense work, I have much more say-so over what types of cases I take, how those cases roll, and what kind of impact on the larger policy issues. As the (county prosecutor, the) individual who actually makes the policies, as the individual who has to actually instruct other people on how to follow the code of professional conduct, how to prosecute, and what type of cases to prosecute, it’s a step up. Because, I’m now the one who is saying, “I don’t have to file a lawsuit to set the policy; I can actually set the policy myself.”
QCF: Is there anything you can remember that shaped at a young age what you thought about politics?
FR: I started getting into a book called "The Art of War". "The Art of War", in my opinion, is a great road map for not only running business but also, politics. As I started to get more into philosophy and more into thinking, I started to shape my ideas about how the political process could work, using these philosophical base. That was high school and on into college and ultimately law school – never implemented it but just learning about it.
QCF: You have been publicly outspoken about demanding current prosecutor Mike Allen step down from office "right now." Can we afford to have Joe Deters restoring public trust in the system?
Rucker and Deters debate at Xavier’s Cintas Center
Gary Landers, Cincinnati Enquirer |
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FR: The main thing about the prosecutor is that that individual is the manager for the prosecutor’s office – a large law firm, essentially – 150-160 lawyers, plus about 20-30 staff members. The manager’s position requires you to know what your staff is doing, and also to instill in them the absolute obligation to make sure the system is fair. I mean, I used to hang that outside my door when I was in the city prosecutor’s office. How can you be an effective manager when in your last position, where you were managing and overseeing individuals who were acting on your behalf, your chief of staff in fact were indicted and convicted in a scheme that caused people to lose money and for money to be diverted into your campaign from a party in another county. You know, and then to claim that (Deters) doesn’t know anything about that. How can you be an effective manager when you don’t know what the people directly under you are doing and where it’s illegal? That is just one aspect of it. I put myself in this race as a uniter. I have support from Republicans, Democrats, Charterites, and I have the endorsement of the Charter and Democratic Party. I have support from blacks and whites, young and old, prosecutors are helping my race, defense attorneys, and judges behind the scenes.
This is about uniting this county. You can’t be a uniter when your standing reason for getting back into this race, and I’ll read a letter that he wrote, the reason for (Deters) getting into this race was that “the Democrats were energized and emboldened at the thought that they could win the (prosecutors) office and using it to drive their turnout on election day." That’s the stated reason!
The focus on this position must be on adequately and fairly representing everyone. I took an oath of office on November 12, 1996. That oath of office states, “I will uphold the constitutional laws of the United States; I will uphold the constitutional laws of Ohio; and I will uphold the laws of the Ohio professional code of conduct. The professional code of conduct governs our activities as lawyers and we are supposed to do everything we can to assure public trust. That is not ensuring public trust; it’s not even making the appearance of (trying to) ensure public trust. We don’t need that. We need someone who is going to say, “de-politicize (the prosecutor’s office), the (people) need to be represented civilly and criminally to the best of our abilities without regard to those external issues. I don’t believe that (Deters) is coming back in here to equalize things. He’s coming back in here to make sure things stay the same.
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Links
· Cincinnati Enquirer --- “Past Pushes Rucker to Run”
· CityBeat --- “Puttin' Out the Bone: Mike Allen’s Zipper and One Party Rule”
· Cincinnati Enquirer --- “Prosecutor Hopefuls Debate Experience”
· WCPO --- “County Prosecutors Race May Impact Presidential Race”
· Cincinnati Post --- “Grand Jury Hears Deters Testimony in Theft Case”
· WCPO --- “Ties Between Deters and Convicted Stockbroker Questioned”
Contact Information
· michaelda@queencityforum.com
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