On Monday, Inyo District Attorney Art Maillet walked into his assistant’s office and handed him a letter of termination. This, according to Assistant DA Will Richmond.
When contacted by Sierra Wave, Richmond confirmed that he was terminated, and that Maillet handed him the notice and said he “had no time to talk about it.” Richmond came to the Inyo DA’s office about a year ago after the former assistant was placed on administrative leave and then retired after a controversy over the release of documents on his boss’s political opponent.
Richmond said he had no notice or warning of the termination, and he said he had no information on what was on the DA’s mind. Richmond said he had come to Inyo to work in the DA’s office to “help a friend, Art Maillet, and to do some good. It was not for financial reasons,” said Richmond.
Asked to explain why he thought he was terminated, Richmond did say, “There was an obvious opinion on how to manage the office and how to be an effective prosecutor. I cut it a little thin for his tolerance,” said Richmond. Before Richmond arrived, citizen comments and confidential remarks from the legal community pointed to a “dysfunctional” DA’s office with serious human relations problems among staff. Mr. Maillet has refused to speak with local media and so we could not publish a response from him to these issues.
Richmond is the former District Attorney for Alpine County and worked as a government-funded environmental attorney. He had worked closely with Mono DA George Booth on matters involving the Owens Gorge and the dispute with DWP.
Mr. Richmond, you’ve earned our respect, by having the right stuff and doing your job. Two words come to mind: Wrongful Termination. On the other hand Mr. Maillet, show me a recall petition and I’ll be first in line to sign.
Isnt his name William??? Either way Will or William…….THANK YOU!!!
WhenI was a victim of a drunk driver i believed nothing would be done about it because i dont have the best record with the D.A.’s office. However to my surprise William handled the case nicely. I was treated alot better than I would have been had Art handled it.… Read more »
No body works together in the DA’s Office! There are many unhappy people working there and their disfunctional leadership conveys that. We need an outside attorney to run for DA and shake the disfuctional tree that keeps growing inside the DA’s office. RESIGN MAILLET and get rid of your Deputy… Read more »
Rumor has it that the DA’s right hand, heir apparent & inside man, who probably led the coup de grâce against Richmond (this is opinion only), will be promoted to Assistant DA. WOW. Its sad that in a nice place like Inyo county the divisive continue to lead and get… Read more »
The answer to the repeated question of “how does Maillet still have his job” is easy. After having served a prior term as D.A., the citizens of Inyo County came to know and like his performance so much that instead of recalling him, they reelected him less than a year… Read more »
Let’s not bypass the fact that he won by a “wide margin” in a race against a tweeker, who has been popped for being spun in court.
Actually, considering Mr. Harvey’s late entry into the race, his “colorful” past, and all the false accusations that the DA’s Office made public, he did pretty well with 1339 votes out of 4949, 27%. People don’t care about the DA’s office, until they’ve been hurt by it. You have to… Read more »
Bob, The DA has made it clear by his actions that he does not intend to run again. He stinks more by the day and had people known what they know now, that “wide margin” would not have existed. In the sales world I think they call it a bait… Read more »
Oops, I get it now, the irony escaped me!
How the heck DOES Art Maillet still have a job? He is an ego-maniac and someone needs to put him in his place. I would definately vote for a recall on this man. How do we get started?????
To start a Recall, call the County Clerk’s (Kammi Foote) office to request instructions. Twenty “proponents” are needed to sign the petition to get started, along with the reasons for the recall, for example, mismanagement, abuse of power, abuse of prosecuterial discretion, fabrication of charges, etc. I’m sure there are… Read more »
So what does Wayne Deja think bout this???
How the hell does Maillet still have a job? That’s sad!
Will Richmond is one of the most brillant,decent and honest men I have ever known. When DA Maillet picked him for his assistant, I thought that the Inyo DAs Office would finally be on the mend. Clearly I was wrong. It will take a decade for the office to recover… Read more »
This doesn’t have anything to do with the battery investigation and the Sheriff’s Office does it?
Some “friend”, Mr. Richmond. I’m guessing you have a conscience that he didn’t know about.
Uncle Art should be recalled. The county and its citizens can’t afford this man’s blunders for another 3 years.
Mr. Richmond is a solid atttorney. He is capable of doing his job, only problem his hands have been tied by his higher ups on too many occasions. He will be missed.
Mr. Richmond was a solid performer from my observations and his absence will be detrimental to the good will that was established with other criminal justice participants. He had a level, even-handed approach. Almost certainly it will go back to more of the same the DA’s office is known for,… Read more »
Stephen really hits the nail on the head. Richmonds termination is a loss to the entire Inyo Co. Justice System and spells continuing problems for agencies that interact with the dysfunctional D.A.’s Office.
Boy Maillet has really lost it. The guy has locked himself in his office and won’t talk to anybody, including other County officials. I think he has a head problem. I know of some law enforcement people who have asked to see certain old files that are in the possession… Read more »
What a shame. Will is a true gentleman and I’m sure an able ADA.
I have known Will Richmond for many years. Inyo County was lucky to have a public servant as knowledgeable and dedicated as Will. Too bad such talent was not appreciated.