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SunSeeker

(51,368 posts)
Thu Mar 16, 2017, 03:12 AM Mar 2017

John Van de Kamp, former California attorney general and L.A. County district attorney, dies at 81

A towering political figure who became the top prosecutor in Los Angeles County and then California before running for governor, Van de Kamp died Tuesday at his home in Pasadena after a brief illness. He was 81. A family friend, Fred Registrar, confirmed his death.

One election cycle after that spring afternoon at the racetrack, opponents would accuse Van de Kamp of being too dull and robotic to take the reins of governor of California . The criticisms would ultimately help sink the Southland native in the 1990 Democratic primary against Dianne Feinstein, and he would never again seek high-profile political office.

But by that time, the modestly raised member of a family known for its baked goods and windmill-themed bakeries had already left a significant mark in public life. In a career that spanned decades, Van de Kamp helped institute a revolutionary computerized fingerprint identification program, was instrumental in the push to “fast track” cases stuck in the state’s civil courts, and pressed a laundry list of environmental, consumer rights and campaign finance reform cases that chiseled his public image into that of a liberal lion.
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“An extraordinary leader of impeccable integrity, John never backed away from taking strong, principled stands on tough issues,” Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer recalled. “John was supremely effective at everything he did — always with a quiet confidence and devotion to public service that inspired generations of lawyers.”

http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-van-de-kamp-20170315-story.html

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Competence, quiet confidence and devotion to public service. John Van de Camp was a true public servant. Sadly, a rare breed.

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