By Paul Janczewski
Legal News
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton is a member of a pretty exclusive club.
There are only two prosecutors from Genesee County who have ever served as president of the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan (PAAM). Leyton is the second, and ironically, the first, Robert Weiss, just happened to be Leyton's friend and mentor.
"If you look all the way back to 1928, when PAAM was formed, there's no listing of any Genesee County Prosecutor who was president except me and Bob Weiss," Leyton said. "So it's a big honor."
Leyton, 59, was elected the president of PAAM last August at the association's 85th annual conference, held at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.
From the first PAAM president, Attorney General Wilber Brucker, to Leyton, the latest, the association has been dotted by men, and at least one woman, who have helped shape the criminal justice system in the state and their representative counties. But it was not the most well-known group of lawmen in the state.
"When I was first elected Genesee County prosecutor, I didn't know what PAAM was," Leyton said.
The executive director of PAAM visited him soon after he took office, introduced the young new prosecutor to PAAM and the benefits of becoming involved. Leyton's predecessor, Arthur Busch, also encouraged him to become involved in the group.
Leyton said PAAM does a number of things, by representing the official position of all the state prosecutors in matters of public policy and with pending legislation in the legislature. But through its continuing legal education, "it's a wonderful way to provide training across the state to all of the prosecutors and their assistants," according to Leyton.
"It also gives us an opportunity to speak to one another, to converse on issues that we all see on a regular basis," he said. Got a question on some issue, or how others are handling certain situations? "You can ask a colleague, 'How are you handling this, or what do you recommend in respect to this.'"
The group discusses cases, policies and other matters and conducts two formal meetings per year.
"It's been very helpful to me," he said. "We also have a voice in Lansing in important issues that are being discussed by legislators, or the governor."
After he was elected Genesee County prosecutor, Leyton soon was elected to the board of directors, and later became secretary-treasurer, vice president, and then president-elect.
His term as PAAM president runs through August 2013.
Leyton said the theme of his PAAM presidency will be "Justice For All."
"I think it's important to know that prosecuting attorneys are not simply about winning convictions. I think it's important for the public to know that. That's not our job. It's to seek and find justice for the citizens of Michigan," Leyton said.
Leyton said justice means that if the evidence shows that an individual beyond a reasonable doubt committed a crime, then they ought to be convicted and punished. But if the evidence suggests that the individual is not guilty, "then the prosecutor should be the first person to step forward with the evidence displaying the individual is not guilty," Leyton said.
"That's a very important distinction between what we do, and what defense lawyers do," he said. "Criminal defense lawyers have one job - to advocate for their client. That's not the job of the prosecutor. Our job is justice," Leyton said.
Leyton said another part of his agenda is to "ensure that we never forget victims." He said he picked up that mantra from his predecessor, Larry Burdick of Isabella County, who is now a tribal judge near Mt. Pleasant.
It's also a theme Leyton has carried over from Genesee County, where he fights for victims' rights and engages in that agenda through his own office and in various themed events throughout the year.
"I've been focused on that since day one, and this gives me an opportunity to take it to a statewide level."
Leyton said he wants to remain as Genesee County prosecutor and "give them four more years of a top-notch effort," and to stay active with PAAM after his presidency runs out.
"PAAM, to its credit, has a number of active past presidents who remain involved, and continue to have input," he said. "They are really the guiding mentors of what PAAM has become, and they are not only very influential, but vitally important to PAAM's success. Carrying on that institutional memory is really important."
Published: Mon, Nov 26, 2012
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