Richards to seek 4th term as prosecutor

Jan. 30--The woman who has been Allen County prosecutor since 2003 planned to announce her candidacy for a fourth term in the same office today.

Karen Richards, who has worked in the prosecutor's office for 33 years, was scheduled to start her campaign with an announcement at Republican headquarters shortly after noon.

She's prepared to argue for her re-election based on a mix of administrative and courtroom accomplishments, among them:

-- A homicide prosecution unit, which has lost only one murder case since 2003. Richards said a deputy prosecutor, or sometimes she herself, goes to every homicide scene, every suspicious or unexplained death, and every child death to work with police on laying strong foundations for legal cases from the time the first evidence is collected.

She said her staff meets with homicide detectives twice monthly to review progress on cases. Three deputies, or sometimes Richards, are available by pager for consultation on any crime, any day, any time.

Mike Loomis, a former chief deputy prosecutor, also is running for Allen County prosecutor, and he emphasizes the record homicide tally -- 45 -- in Allen County last year as a sign that change is necessary.

Richards said her office and police continue working on ways to improve investigation and prosecution, but she said perspective is important, too.

"For the most part, if you're not in a gang or involved in dealing drugs, this is still a very safe place to live," she said.

-- Developing a financial crimes prosecution unit that has prosecuted 149 cases with a 94.6 percent conviction rate. These include a $3.4 million scheme to steal title insurance funds, a $1.3 million securities fraud case, organized retail theft and employee embezzlements.

She said financial crimes were much less common and much simpler when she began her stint as prosecutor 11 years ago.

"We didn't have financial crimes of the complexity we have now when I came in," she said.

-- An increase in child support payment collections from $26.8 million in 2002 to $40.7 million in 2013.

-- Developing a program to combat the problem of suspected drunken drivers who refuse to take sobriety tests, thus making it possible to prosecute these cases.

-- The assimilation of Adult Protective Services into the prosecutor's office. This has allowed better investigation of and prosecution of cases involving the abuse of disabled and elderly adults.

-- In collaboration with the Allen Superior and Circuit courts, the expansion of problem-solving courts, including Drug Court and Veterans Court, the latter of which deals with veterans who become involved in the criminal system as a result of service-related issues.

-- Coordination with the Fort Wayne Police Department to provide the prosecutor's office with a police liaison officer who helps investigate criminal offenses and coordinates efforts between the two agencies. She said she expects the liaison officer to begin delving into cold cases this year, too.

-- Efficient administration of an office that has not received a budget increase since 2002 and, in many years, received decreased funding.

Richards graduated from the Indiana University School of Law in 1979.

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