Paul Zellerbach Takes Over As Riverside County District Attorney
Judge Paul Zellerbach assumed a position on the other side of the bench Monday morning as he took the oath of office as Riverside County’s District Attorney in front of a packed house.
During the ceremony Zellerbach teared up. During his first interview as District Attorney he told News Channel 3, “It meant alot. I’ve been ready for this day but it’s a big responsibility. It takes ahold of you, it’s important and I got a little emotional.
After a small informal ceremony at 7:30 a.m., Zellerbach let News Channel 3 follow him as he began his first day on the job.
Zellerbach was elected on June 8, 2010, and is taking office six months later because there was no run-off election in November.
During that time he fought for limiting some of the power of outgoing District Attorney Rod Pacheco, who Zellerbach feared was overspending.
When we spoke with him in June, he told News Channel 3’s Mike Daniels he was worried now about the budget he will inherit when he takes office in January. After taking office he told Daniels, “I am going to reorganize the office to better serve the people and make it more efficient. It will allow us to carry out the goals of the DA’s Office.”
“I’ve heard from people inside the office that they are hiring what I’ve heard numbers of 8-23 new attorneys and up to 45 promotions in the past several weeks,” he said “I don’t know what’s going on over there, I haven’t even been allowed inside. I don’t have access to documents inside the D.A. Office.”
Pacheco dropped a lawsuit he had filed against the county last week that was seeking to give him the power to hire more people in the District Attorney’s office.
Zellerbach told News Channel 3 he will be letting go of several at-will employees. He says he’ll bring in veteran prosecutors and investigators who have worked for past district attorneys. “I am going to bring in past task force investigators to help with trial prep. Convictions have been so low in the past years and attorneys need more investigative support.”
Zellerbach says after his 100th day in office, he’ll release a State of the District Attorney’s Office report.
