Citizens in Butte County had enough with their state’s attorney by summer of 2023 after she went after the high school seniors. This was an email written and encouraged by the writer for others to send to the AG office as an official complaint:
Super easy email to write since he’s not back in the office to talk to until next week. Everyone need to do it then call when he gets back in!!
Good Afternoon Mr. Kempema,
I am writing in regard to the recent actions of SA LeEllen McCartney. For the last nine months we have watched this person who is supposed to be representing the people of Butte County as she continually, actively and publicly works against the very people who write her paycheck. The current situation in threatening to charge high school seniors with felonies that include prison time and excessive fines is over the top. If it was a normal person it would be considered extortion but because she has States Attorney behind her name she has the right to act like a bully.
When the seniors did their annual prank most of town was aware of it, we were also aware that it got out of hand and was mainly perpetrated by one or two kids who got carried away. The ones who caused the damage should have and did get punished by the school district. The principal made it clear that if the kids accepted the consequences there wouldn’t be any further punishment. They all accepted and completed their punishments. Now, two months later the states attorney has decided she needs to clean up Belle Fourche and she starts with the hardened criminals of our senior class – seriously?? Does she really have nothing better to do?? Are we really paying her six figures to go after kids who discharged a fire extinguisher and did less than $3600 damage (according to the BFPD) and they have already paid the consequences?
In realty, the Butte County States Attorney has done her best in 2023 to throw around her weight in County Commissioner meetings on a regular basis. If you’d like to see her in action there is actually quite a bit of recorded evidence that proves she is not acting in the best interest of the patrons of Butte County.
Thank you for your time and I do hope this is taken seriously before she hurts the futures of a bunch of kids who have never been in legal trouble before and could harm their futures forever.
Thanks,
Name
Butte County Resident