Anderson receives ‘Prosecutor of the Year’ award
- Lake County News reports
- Posted On
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County District Attorney Don Anderson recently received the 2017 Prosecutor of the Year award presented by the California Narcotic Officers’ Association.
The 7,000-member law enforcement association is comprised of peace officers throughout the State of California.
CNOA, established in 1964, is recognized as the largest training association in California devoted to high quality training for law enforcement professionals.
Annually, CNOA presents the Prosecutor of the Year award to identify, recognize, and honor prosecutors throughout California who are committed to law enforcement.
The honoree is selected on basis on his life time achievements, contributions and efforts as a prosecutor.
The association reported that Anderson is only the third elected district attorney to receive the award since the inception of CNOA.
In the presentation, CNOA President Frank Hartig recognized Anderson for his achievements in increasing the county conviction rate to a state high 87 percent, implementing new and innovated programs such as establishing the first Perjury Intervention Unit in the country and other programs that have raised $250,000 for local charities.
The association recognized Anderson in his tenure as district attorney for personally, and successfully, prosecuting several high profile cases, including a three-defendant homicide in the shooting death of a 4-year-old child, a five-defendant home invasion and the attempted murder of a police officer.
Anderson also was recognized for his 15 years as a deputy sheriff for Lake County where he worked major crime investigations and narcotic enforcement. His representation and support of his peers caused him to be elected president of the deputy sheriffs association five times.
He also was commended for his participation in the case involving the murder of sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Helbush in 1981.
In that case, Anderson pursued the two suspects and, after a furious gun battle in which he was shot in the leg, he took the two suspects into custody.
The association also commended Anderson for saving the life of a young mother in 2013 by pulling her from a burning vehicle.
Anderson, who has acted as a judge pro tem and judicial arbitrator, was commended by his peers for authoring the book, “408 Lakeport,” which was used to assist law enforcement officers with PTSD issues.