Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 01/17/08

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua - 565-3098

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

DA SELECTS ROBERT LAFORGE AS CHIEF DEPUTY

Sonoma County District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announced today the selection of Robert LaForge as the newest Chief Deputy District Attorney.

"Mr. LaForge is a dedicated career prosecutor who is known for his strong work ethic and respected by the legal community and local law enforcement," said District Attorney Passalacqua.

Robert joined our office in January, 1998. Since that time, he has served in a number of assignments and handled some of the most complex prosecutions in the office as a Deputy District Attorney, including stints in the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, the Gang Unit, and most recently in the Homicide Unit. He has served as Team Leader for the Felony Trial Team and the Gang Unit. While a member of the Gang Unit, Chief Deputy LaForge handled several cases involved in the Black Widow Operation, including presenting and obtaining indictments on those cases at a criminal grand jury convened in Sonoma County. In 2006, Chief Deputy LaForge successfully obtained a first degree murder conviction and personal use of a firearm enhancement in the trial of People v. Zook.

Before joining our office, Robert was a Deputy District Attorney in San Bernardino County from 1996 through 1998, and a volunteer Deputy District Attorney in San Benito County after passing the bar in 1995. Robert also worked for a year after college as a Deputy Probation Counselor in Orange County, where he supervised and counseled incarcerated juveniles.
Robert received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from California State University, Long Beach and his law degree from Western State University, College of Law in Fullerton.

Chief Deputy LaForge joins Spencer Brady, Joan Risse and William Brockley as the office’s four Chief Deputies.