October 29, 2018
Read this terrific letter from Attorney Jay Gerber endorsing my candidacy!
October 18, 2018
In the Bennington debate, after I described how I succcessfully won a case in the U.S. Supreme Court, handled 25 jury trials, 25 appeals, worked side-by-side with the state police through the night during the Amber Alert, and was honored by the Governor for my work with the legislature, the current State’s Attorney summarized her view of the State’s Attorney’s responsibilities in one sentence: “The job of State’s Attorney is administrator.” I could not disagree more.
We need an experienced, hard-working leader to end the opioid crisis, not an administrator. I have a 21-point opioid plan and will establish a long-overdue drug court and implement many additional measures to address the crisis. Here’s the video.
You can watch the complete debate on CAT-TV’s Youtube page.
October 23, 2018: Read my Letter to the Editor in the Bennington Banner
Rainville Promises Progress on Opioids
October 10, 2018
RAINVILLE SAYS OPPONENT’S REFUSAL TO DEBATE IN MANCHESTER IS A REGRETTABLE LOSS FOR VOTERS AND THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS
Christina Rainville, Independent candidate for Bennington County State’s Attorney, said today that “because my opponent is refusing to debate on GNAT-TV in Manchester, there is a regrettable loss for Manchester’s voters and a disservice to our democratic process.”
“GNAT had indicated to me that they wanted to have the State’s Attorney candidates debate in Manchester as they did in Bennington. As a result, I sent the following email to my opponent:
Dear Erica:
GNAT-TV has been in touch with the Rainville for State’s Attorney campaign regarding a debate to be broadcast in Manchester. We have informed GNAT that I will be completely flexible on timing to insure that this can go forward.
This election for State’s Attorney raises crucial issues for Bennington County. A debate on GNAT is essential to allow Manchester’s voters to be as informed as possible in making their decision.
Please let us know as soon as possible when you will be available. If you do not respond by Monday, October 8, we will unfortunately be forced to conclude that you are unwilling to participate in a debate on GNAT.
“Unfortunately, she did not respond, much less agree to a debate, so there will be no opportunity for Manchester’s voters to benefit from a debate. Instead, GNAT has informed me that instead of a face-to-face debate, my opponent is only willing to attend an interview at which I will not be present.”
“Obviously a one person interview is not the same as a face-to-face debate where voters can compare the abilities and positions of the candidates. As the community struggles with an unprecedented opioid crisis, there are important issues that Manchester’s voters deserve to hear discussed face-to-face by the candidates.”
“In a real debate, Manchester’s voters would have the opportunity to compare what I did as a hands-on prosecutor with 25 jury trials, 25 appeals, and winning a case in the United States Supreme Court, against my opponent’s admission that she is merely an ‘administrator.’ Voters likewise would be able to evaluate my pledge to establish a Drug Court, which would expedite treatment of drug cases, compared to my opponent’s opposition to a Drug Court, and my extensive 21-point plan to fight the opioid epidemic compared to my opponent’s failure to advance any plan at all.”
“In addition, the ability to debate face-to-face is a critical skill for a State’s Attorney who must constantly use debate skills with other attorneys, judges, witnesses, and with the legislature when she needs to advocate to get a bill passed. Voters should have the opportunity to compare the candidates’ abilities in this regard.”
“After our debate in Bennington, it seems obvious why my opponent is unwilling to debate face-to-face in Manchester. In Bennington, she spent much of her time reminiscing about her childhood in Manchester, offered no plan at all to deal with opioids, and did not address the differences in our accomplishments, other than making the shocking admission that to her, the State’s Attorney is just an “administrator” who hires other people to do the work.”
“Nonetheless, out of respect for Manchester’s voters and the democratic process, she should debate. In light of how much she talks about growing up in Manchester, it is particularly ironic that she now insists on depriving Manchester’s voters of a debate on GNAT after she was willing to debate in Bennington.”
“Of course, I will participate in a GNAT interview, but I want to make clear that I remain ready to engage in a real debate at virtually any time, and that it is my opponent who is afraid to have a a debate in Manchester.”
* * *
September 27, 2018
Read the Bennington Banner story about how I clearly won the debate in Bennington on Tuesday night. It describes how I showed that, in this election, “I am the real prosecutor,” by setting out how I handled all the major cases and appeals, and won a case in the United States Supreme Court in my 8 1/2 years as Chief Deputy, and was the chief liaison with the legislature, while my opponent did none of those things that are necessary to be able to lead the office. My opponent had no answer and, shockingly admitted that in her view the “job of State’s Attorney is administrator” whose function is to hire other people to do the actual work.
The story also describes how I set out my 21-point plan to fight the opioid epidemic. My opponent again had neither a response nor a plan of her own.
Ask yourself: to fight the opioid crisis, is it better to have a State’s Attorney who is a real prosecutor with real achievements and a real plan, or someone who has no accomplishments, no plan, and amazingly admits that she thinks her job is only to be “administrator’” who avoids doing the real work of the office?
September 24, 2018
Rainville releases her 21-Point Plan to address the opioid crisis. Here’s the 2018 09 25 Rainville Press Release.
September 12, 2018
Check out the story in the Bennington Banner about how the Department of Labor found that the State’s Attorney forced me out of my job as Chief Deputy — despite the fact that I handled the most important trials and appeals in the office and received national acclaim for my work — because I complied with the legal and ethical obligations that apply to prosecutors. It’s noteworthy that in her comments, the State’s Attorney does not even attempt to deny that the Department of Labor’s finding is correct. The State’s Attorney likewise doesn’t deny her record of mismanagement, where 22 employees have left so far during her time in office, and she fired at least 10 of the employees who left. All this in an office that only has 9 employees!
The current State’s Attorney callously refers to her office as a “stepping stone” that lawyers use to further their careers by going into private practice or public service. The truth is that she fired four of the six lawyers who later found jobs in private practice, and she fired two of the five lawyers who later got jobs in public service. That’s not a stepping stone. That’s being thrown off a cliff. For most fired employees, it means having no income, no way to pay rent, buy food or health insurance. Multiply the worry by ten if the employee has children. The State’s Attorney’s insistence on calling this process a stepping stone for the ten people or more that she fired is heartless.
You can also read the original documents from the Department of Labor and the Office of Disciplinary Counsel that are referred to in the article at READ THE TRUTH.
August 21, 2018: GREAT NEWS COVERAGE!!
Read about the campaign in the Bennington Banner and VT Digger!
August 20, 2018 —RAINVILLE SAYS OPPONENTS ARE PLAYING GAMES WITH PARTY LABELS INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON OPIOIDS AND CRIME.
Christina Rainville, Independent candidate for Bennington County State’s Attorney, said today that her two opponents “are busy playing games with political party labels when they should be trying to find solutions to the opioid crisis and crime in Bennington County.“
“Arnold Gottlieb ran as a Democrat in last week’s primary and lost. Now he admits that he filed a second petition prior to the primary, claiming to be an Independent, to get asecond bite at the apple when he lost the primary.”
“I am the only real Independent in this race. I said from the very first day of my candidacy that I am running as an Independent because criminal justice should be free of party politics. If Arnold Gottlieb, who has only been a licensed lawyer in Vermont since 2015, and who has no experience as a prosecutor, desires change for Bennington County, he should withdraw his second candidacy and support me.”
Rainville said that the present State’s Attorney was no better. “She ran as a Democrat in the primary but asked Republicans to write her in for their nomination so she could have a second bite at the apple if she lost the Democratic primary. Since there were no Republicans on the official ballot, a mere 201 write-in votes guaranteed her a spot as a Republican on the ballot in November.”
“When the candidates play games like this with party labels, it defeats the purpose of having a primary. Voters vote in primaries because they believe their vote will count, and the cost of holding primaries is not a game. This is the kind of conduct that gives voters a negative attitude towards politics and politicians,” Rainville said. “It clearly has no place in the criminal justice system. My campaign as a real Independent will focus on my qualifications and commitment to ending the opioid crisis compared to my opponents.”
August 15, 2018: RAINVILLE CHALLENGES MARTHAGE AND GOTTLIEB TO COMPARE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Christina Rainville, Independent candidate for Bennington County State’s Attorney, said Wednesday that comparing her record as a prosecutor with the records of both candidates in Tuesday’s Democratic primary makes clear that voters should choose her to be Bennington County’s next State’s Attorney.
“I challenge both Ms. Marthage and Mr. Gottlieb to compare their records with mine.”
“I have a proven record of success as a front-line prosecutor in Bennington County. I briefed, argued and won a case for Bennington County in the US Supreme Court, I tried 25 jury cases in Bennington County and won convictions of violent criminals, I handled 25 appeals for Bennington County in the Vermont Supreme Court, and I worked with the legislature and was praised by the Governor for legislation protecting children. I also handled the most complex juvenile cases, including delinquency cases and neglect and abuse cases, and I worked directly with the U.S. Department of State to arrange for the international transfer of a child under state’s custody to Vermont.”
“By contrast, Ms. Marthage did no work at all on the case in the U.S. Supreme Court, rarely if ever tries a jury case and does not have a single reported opinion in the Vermont Supreme Court where she argued the case. Most importantly, she has completely failed to combat the opioid epidemic that is devastating families all over Bennington County.”
“As for Mr. Gottlieb, he is completely unprepared to be Bennington County State’s Attorney. He has only lived in Vermont for a short time and has only been licensed as a lawyer here since 2015. Even worse, he appears to have absolutely no experience as a prosecutor. While I was on the front lines for 8 1/2 years as the Chief Deputy State’s Attorney, he was living in Ohio. Bennington County cannot afford a State’s Attorney who needs on-the job training as a prosecutor and who has little or no experience in the Vermont criminal court system, the juvenile court system, the drug treatment system, and the legislative landscape — in short, everything significant about the Bennington County criminal and juvenile legal systems that are the State’s Attorney’s responsibility.”
“When voters compare our records, they will decide that I am the only candidate with the experience and success as a prosecutor to lead Bennington County out of the opioid crisis.”
August 9, 2018: My campaign is getting great press coverage! Read the news!
August 8, 2018 Bennington Banner
August 7, 2018: Christina Rainville announces her candidacy for State’s Attorney.
Christina Rainville, who served as the Bennington County Chief Deputy State’s Attorney for eight and one-half years, and who is one of the very few lawyers in all of Vermont to have argued and won a case in the United States Supreme Court, announced that she has filed as an Independent candidate for Bennington County State’s Attorney.
“Bennington County is in crisis because of the opioid epidemic and I am the most qualified person to move the county forward,” Rainville said. “I am running as an Independent because politics has no place in the criminal justice system.”
Rainville called for immediate action to deal with opioid addiction, including the establishment of a desperately-needed Drug Court like the ones already set up in other counties, but which “the present State’s Attorney for some inexplicable reason has failed to support.” Rainville said that, “Bennington County needs a State’s Attorney who has shown that she can take the initiative, and get things done.”
Rainville pointed to her record as a proven prosecutor who successfully fought crime on the front lines, and her history of working with the legislature. She emphasized that she was the person in the State’s Attorney’s office who handled the most important and difficult cases. Besides her victory in the United States Supreme Court, she tried over 25 jury cases and obtained convictions of dangerous criminals who had committed sexual assaults, and other violent crimes. She also argued 25 appeals in the Vermont Supreme Court, and was honored by Governor Shumlin for her work in extending the statute of limitations for prosecuting sexual crimes against children.
“It is clear that neither of the other candidates for State’s Attorney has the necessary experience as a front-line prosecutor, or as someone who can get the laws changed to meet our community’s changing needs,” Rainville said.
Rainville obtained 142 signatures on her nominating petitions, far more than the number that was necessary. “I am thrilled by the response my candidacy has already received,” she said. “I spoke to people in the community — at their businesses, in front of stores, on the sidewalks, in parking lots — and so many of us have been affected by the opioid crisis. The community clearly recognizes that change is needed.”
Christina Rainville for State's Attorney 