Greg Banks’ election to a board representing all prosecutors in the state illustrates a difference in how two candidates look at the prosecutor’s role.

Banks, the Island County prosecutor seeking reelection, is on a number of state boards concerning law and justice issues and feels that it’s good for the county, as well as the system as a whole.

His challenger in November’s election, Steve Selby — the former chief criminal prosecutor — is very critical of Banks’ activities outside the office and pledges to be a “working prosecutor” with a full caseload.

Banks, a Democrat, was recently nominated and elected as secretary of the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. It doesn’t mean he’ll get flowers on Secretaries’ Day, but he is now a voting member of the association’s board of directors.

The secretary is elevated to vice president the following year, and to president the year after that.

“The citizens of Island County will benefit from my term as an officer,” Banks said, “both from my ability to raise concerns at the state level, and from the ideas and information I can bring back to Island County.”

Banks points out that if he is re-elected as prosecutor this fall, Island County will have strong representation on two state law-and-justice boards.

Earlier this year, Superior Court Judge Vickie Churchill won election as president of the Superior Court Judges Association. Judge Alan Hancock is also an active member.

Both the judges’ and prosecutors’ associations work with lawmakers to draft new legislation, among many other things.

In fact, Banks pointed out that county commissioners, the auditor and other elected officials are heavily involved in state boards and committees.

Of course, Banks won’t get the chance to continue serving if he loses the election to the Republican challenger, Selby, who served as chief criminal deputy under Banks. Banks fired Selby after he announced he was running against his boss.

Selby, in fact, has said that he won’t waste his time on state boards, but will take on a caseload to put Island County criminals behind bars. He was critical of Banks’ election to the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, which he claims really isn’t much of an honor.

“This is a perfect example of what I’m going to put a stop to,” Selby said. “No matter what Mr. Banks says, it has no benefit to our community whatsoever, but it’s actually a detriment. It deprives the county of a working prosecutor.”

Since getting the axe, Selby has been working for the Skagit County Prosecutor’s Office. Selby said the Skagit prosecutor, even though it’s a larger county and larger office, carries a caseload of work. Selby claims Banks doesn’t carry a caseload and doesn’t do enough work in the office.

Also, Selby is upset that the deputy prosecutors are all underpaid, but that Banks’ only funding request last year was a raise for himself.

Banks counters that he does more than his share of work and worked more hours than Selby did. He said he split the most serious cases with Selby. According to Banks, in eight years he handled six trials while Selby did eight trials — a number Selby disputes.

Banks conceded that neither he nor Selby ever had the kind of caseload that their deputy prosecutors have. One deputy prosecutor currently has 45 felony cases.

Also, Banks said prosecutors are required by state statute to seek to improve the justice system.

“If Steve Selby wants to be a maverick and isolate himself, so be it,” Banks said.

Besides the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, Banks also serves on the Washington Integrated Justice Information Board and the Judicial Information System Committee. The boards are trying to create a statewide computer network that will integrate the sometimes-conflicting databases kept by prosecutors, courts, the Department of Corrections, the State Patrol and each local police department.

Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys is compromised of the 39 elected county prosecutors in the state. It represents county prosecutors at the state and national level, researches law and justice issues, and provides training.

Banks said he was surprised and honored that the past presidents of the association unanimously voted for him.

It’s not a position that prosecutors campaign for, but his fellow prosecutors picked him as the best person for the job.

One of the issues Banks said he hopes to work on is a system for more efficient sharing information between prosecutors’ offices. Right now, they don’t have thorough, reliable and instant access to each others’ information and legal work.

“This means better legal arguments, and time savings for all deputy prosecutors who are always under time crunches,” he said.

You can reach Jessie Stensland at jstensland@whidbeynewstimes.com or 675-6611.