[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 62 (Wednesday, May 15, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL D. BRADBURY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELTON GALLEGLY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 15, 2002

  Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to my longtime 
friend, Michael D. Bradbury, who will be honored this week by Interface 
Children Family Services ``for his contributions and dedication to 
youth and to the community throughout his long career as a public 
servant.''
  Mike was elected District Attorney of Ventura County, California, in 
1978, a year before I was elected to the Simi Valley City Council. We 
developed a steadfast friendship and mutual respect while working 
together on a variety of issues over the years. Mike will retire from 
the District Attorney's Office at the end of the year. He will long be 
remembered as a no-nonsense prosecutor and a recognized leader in law 
enforcement both statewide and nationally.
  No one person, of course, is responsible for creating a community 
that is recognized annually as the safest urban area in the western 
United States. But certainly Mike Bradbury leads the pack. Under his 
direction, the Ventura County District Attorney's Office adopted a no-
plea-bargaining policy. Criminals know if they commit a crime in 
Ventura County they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. 
Because of his tough stance on crime, Mike was re-elected District 
Attorney five times.
  At the same time, Mike recognizes that crime prevention is more than 
being tough on criminals. It also requires providing a safe and secure 
environment for families and children and providing children with the 
tools they need to become productive members of society. In addition to 
his work with Interface Children Family Services, Mike was an honorary 
fundraising chairman for Big Brothers/Big Sisters; president of the Boy 
Scouts of America, Ventura County Council; member of the Board of 
Directors of the Boys and Girls Club of California and the Barbara 
Sinatra Children's Center; member of the National Advisory Committee of 
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids; and a member of the Advisory Board of the 
Assistance League of Ventura County.
  Not surprisingly, he has been equally active in law enforcement 
organizations, and holds the distinction of being the first district 
attorney in California history to be twice elected president of the 
California District Attorneys Association. In 1992, Governor Pete 
Wilson appointed him chairman of the California Council on Criminal 
Justice and, in 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed him to the 
President's Commission on Drunk Driving.
  Mr. Speaker, I could go on and on with praise for my respected 
friend. But let me sum up his achievements by noting the numerous 
awards he has received for his dedication and accomplishments, note 
that he is also an educator at prestigious law schools, and that he has 
published numerous articles on criminal justice.
  Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues will join Interface Children Family 
Services and me in thanking Michael D. Bradbury for a lifetime of 
dedication to his community and the criminal justice system, and wish 
him and his wife, Heidi, and his sons and daughters, many years of rest 
and relaxation at Hang 'em High Ranch. Although, knowing Mike, he won't 
be resting long.

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