Patrick Lynch

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Patrick C. Lynch (born February 4, 1965, in Providence, Rhode Island) is the current Democratic Attorney General of Rhode Island. He announced on May 22, 2009, that he would be campaigning for the Democratic nomination in the 2010 gubernatorial election in Rhode Island. [1]

Education

  • Bachelor's degree, Brown University (1987) in economics and political science
  • Juris Doctorate degree, Suffolk University Law School at Boston (1992)

Professional experience

Shortly after graduating from law school in 1993, Lynch worked as a law clerk for Presiding Superior Court Justice Joseph Rodgers, Jr. The next year, he brought on by the State Attorney General's office, first as a special assistant then being named to the state's Organized Crime United. In 1999, he entered the private sector and joined the law firm of Tillinghast, Licht, Perkins, Smith & Cohen, LLP, where he remained until 2002 when he ran for attorney general.

Political career

Lynch is well connected politically within the state of Rhode Island as his late-father having served as the Mayor of Pawtucket and his brother currently serves as chairman of the state's Democratic Party.

During his tenure as the state's top law enforcer, Lynch has advocated for stricter laws regarding drunken-driving and the use of handguns. He has also proposed measures that would link school attendance rates and teenagers' driving privileges, increase penalties against people who provide alcohol to minors, and require school districts to put in place anti-bullying and school-safety plans. He has also called for community prosecution, and has paired state prosecutors with police personnel in Providence Police Department's neighborhood precincts with the goal of timely prosecution of drug crimes, robbery, and assault.

The Station nightclub fire

The first of Lynch's responsibilities following his election as state attorney general in November 2002 was to oversee the criminal investigation of the February 20, 2003, Station nightclub fire. The fire at the glam metal and rock n roll themed nightclub located in West Warwick, Rhode Island is considered to be the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in American history, killing 100 people, four of whom died after being admitted to local hospitals; another 230 people were left injured. Pyrotechnic sparks, set off by the tour manager of the night's headline band, Great White, which then ignited flammable sound insulation foam in the walls and ceilings around the stage, were cited as the cause of the blaze.

The two owners of the nightclub, Jeffrey A. and Michael A. Derderian, along with Daniel M. Biechele, former road manager of Great White, were charged on December 9, 2003, with 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter. Biechele plead guilty and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison on May 10, 2006; Jeffrey Derderian was ordered to serve a 10-year suspended sentence while his brother, Michael, received a fifteen year term in prison.

Some critics of Lynch's handling of the case have argued that he failed to prosecute the one individual many consider to be the guiltiest party in the incident, Denis LaRocque, a West Warwick Fire Inspector who repeatedly inspected the Station nightclub prior to the blaze. The Rhode Island Attorney General argued, "Without malice or bad faith, criminal capability cannot attach to fire marshals." Others believe that LaRocque's failures to "order the abatement of the foam covering the doors, walls and ceilings" in addition to not posting a legal capacity at the nightclub qualified as an indication of bad faith. Though he was asked several questions, Lynch "refused to submit Denis LaRocque as a defendant to the Grand Jury." [2]

Lead paint lawsuit

Lynch has also continued to pursue a lawsuit against lead paint manufactures that was initiated by Whitehouse, his predecessor. The initial lawsuit ended in a mistrial while Whitehouse was in office. Lynch won a second lawsuit against Sherwin Williams Co., NL Industries, and Millennium Holdings, LLC., all former lead paint manufacturers. Another company, Atlantic Richfield Co., was acquitted by the jury. The case was closely monitored by other states and municipalities interested in whether former lead paint manufacturers are liable for problems their products caused after they stopped manufacturing it.

DuPont Co. settled out of court in June 2005, agreeing to pay $12 million to the Children's Health Forum. The agency agreed to use the money for lead paint abatement efforts and education campaigns. Lynch has since been criticized for accepting $4,250 in contributions from DuPont lawyers and lobbyists, and his opponent in the 2006 elections filed a complaint with the Rhode Island Ethics Commission. Lynch has denied that the donations were related to the lawsuit, and a lawyer for DuPont who accounted (wiyh his wife) for $2,500 of the donations called the complaint "rubbish."

Lynch has also been criticized for the arrangement his office made with the law firm Motley Rice, which prosecuted the case. The firm agreed to cover the costs of the case in return for 16 2/3 percent of whatever damages the company won. Critics have charged that this kind of relationship between law firm and government is improper because the law firms stand to benefit from a guilty verdict.

2010 gubernatorial campaign

See also: Rhode Island gubernatorial election, 2010

Lynch announced on May 22, 2009, that he would be campaigning for the Democratic nomination in the 2010 gubernatorial election in Rhode Island [1], challenging State Treasurer Frank Caprio in the September 14, 2010 primary election. A Quest Research poll conducted in late-February 2009 showed Caprio well ahead of Lynch 30 - 17.4% in the Democratic primary contest. [3] An October 2009 survey conducted by Alpha Research Associates revealed that both Democratic candidates would lose out to former-United States Senator Lincoln Chafee, who is running as an independent candidate, in a head-to-head matchup, though Caprio did have a significant advantage over Lynch. [4]

Controversies

Ethics complaint

The Rhode Island State Republican Party filed a complaint against Lynch who they accused of violating the $75 limit on gifts established in the state's ethics code when he accepted a plane ticket from the National Cable and Telecommunications Association to speak at a conference in New Orleans about online child safety. [5] A month later, Rhode Island's Ethics Commission unanimously voted to dismiss the charge. [6]

Other roles

  • President, National Association of Attorneys General (2008-2009)
  • Secretary/Board Member, Advent House
  • Board Member, Brown Club of Rhode Island
  • Board Member, Camp Street Community Ministries
  • Past President, Saint Raphael Board

Campaign contributions

2006 Race for Attorney General - Campaign Contributions
Total Raised $541,146
Total Raised by Primary Opponent N/A
Total Raised by Gen. Election Opponent $278,968
Top 5 Contributors Rhode Island Democratic Party $26,000 (4.8% of Total)
National Education Association Rhode Island $3,550 (0.66%)
Rhode Island Laborers Public Employees $2,650 (0.49%)
Norman R. Beretta, Sr. $2,200 (0.41%)
Rhode Island Carpenters $2,000 (0.37%)
Individuals v. Institutions $457,236 (84.5%)
$50,010 (9.2%)
In v. Outside State $388,561 (71.8%)
$152,510 (28.2%)

Electoral history

2002

  • 2002 Race for Attorney General - Democratic Primary
    • Patrick Lynch ran unopposed
2002 Race for Attorney General - General Election [7]
Candidates Percentage
Patrick Lynch (D) 61.5%
J. William W. Harsch (Independent) 38.5%
Total votes 311,205

2006

  • 2006 Race for Attorney General - Democratic Primary
    • Patrick Lynch ran unopposed
2006 Race for Attorney General - General Election [8]
Candidates Percentage
Patrick Lynch (D) 59.5%
J. William W. Harsch (Independent) 40.5%
Total votes 379,499

Family life

Separated for nearly five years, Lynch and his wife, Christine, "filed for divorce in Rhode Island Family Court" [9] on July 29, 2009, having reached an 'amicable' divorce settlement. The couple has had two children together - Kelsey and Graham.

Contact Information

150 South Main Street
Providence, RI 02903

Phone: 401-274-4400

External links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Providence Journal "Attorney General Patrick Lynch plans to run for governor in 2010" 23 May, 2009
  2. ↑ Anchor Rising "Station Nightclub Fire: How Attorney General Patrick Lynch Shielded the Guiltiest Party" 19 Feb. 2009
  3. ↑ Providence Journal "Poll: Caprio, Lynch have edge in 4-way governor's race" 2 March, 2009
  4. ↑ Providence Journal "Chafee says poll numbers show a 'competitive' race" 6 Nov. 2009
  5. ↑ WPRI "RIGOP: AG Lynch broke gift limit rule" 29 Sept. 2009
  6. ↑ WPRI "Ethics complaint against RI AG tossed" 3 Nov. 2009
  7. ↑ Rhode Island Board of Elections - 2002 General Election Results
  8. ↑ Rhode Island Board of Elections - 2006 General Election Results
  9. ↑ WRNI "Attorney General Patrick Lynch Finalizes Divorce" 29 July, 2009


Political offices
Preceded by
Sheldon Whitehouse 		Rhode Island Attorney General
2003–present 		Succeeded by
NA
v • d • e
State Attorneys General
   
Attorney General elections, 2010
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