Huffer Although he admitted he has been thinking about running for Carroll County Prosecutor since the day after the May Primary, local attorney Jim Huffer didn't file for candidacy with the state until 2 p.m. on Friday. "When (Rob) Ives was beaten, I examined the qualities of his opponent," Huffer said. "I thought...I can do better than that!"

He has 20 years of experience in the prosecutor's office, Huffer said.

"You must use experience and training to evaluate evidence in making decisions," he said.

Huffer said he plans to meet with county prosecutor Ives, who lost his election bid in the May primary, to discuss the office workload and to find out "why he got beat."

Although he has not met Trish Thompson, the attorney who will be his opponent in the November general election, he said he is willing to debate her.

"More than once, the more the better!" he said. "I'm a pretty good debater. I'm good on my feet. I'm good in front of a jury."

Huffer said he believes in using plea agreements, which may be an area where the two do not agree totally.

"I'm in favor of plea agreements. They have a useful place in the administration of justice," he said. "It's been my experience that a person who is not willing to be rehabilitated will violate probation."

Huffer explained that sanctions can be very stringent for offenders who violate the terms of their probation, therefore harsher punishment is meted out after they fail at the chance to comply with court orders.

Huffer said that he makes his home in Clinton County, but he owns "a lot of property in Carroll County."

"You don't have to be a (county) resident to run," he said.

He gave the example of former Carroll County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Carey, who was not a county resident when he ran for judge, but moved to the area upon election.

"I intend to comply with the residency law to take office," Huffer explained.

Huffer spoke candidly about an OWI conviction in 2004. He said he pled guilty and was sentenced to a 30-day suspension of his driver's license and held a probationary license for another 180 days.

He said he also attended approximately 24 hours of drug and alcohol education at Wabash Valley.

"I learned that you can't trust the way you feel to judge blood alcohol content," he stated. "If you're going to drink at all, you can't drive."

"I learned a lot from that experience," he said. "I think I can be a better prosecutor because of it."

Huffer stated experience leads a prosecutor to recognize high-profile cases. He said it could be prudent to call a grand jury in a case that many people in the community would be intensely interested about what charges would be filed and how the case was handled.

If elected, Huffer expects to be a part-time prosecutor. He said in 2002, when he was last in that office, he made all the filing decisions and ran the office on a parttime basis. Huffer said he expects the prosecutor's

office to comply with the county personnel policy, including the nepotism clause, if at all possible.

However, before Huffer does anything in the prosecutor's office, he must first overcome an opponent who has already surprised him by her ability to unseat the incumbent.

"I was surprised that Thompson beat Ives," he said. "I will not underestimate her campaign."