EX-CON ELECTED D.A. IN CALIFORNIA'S "POT'' COUNTRY

UKIAH, Calif. (Reuters) - An ex-convict has been elected the District
Attorney of northern California's Mendocino County, becoming the top
law enforcement official in a region famous for its hefty marijuana
crop.

Norman Vroman, a lawyer who served nine months in federal prison for
failing to pay income taxes and twice filed for bankruptcy, defeated
12-year incumbent Susan Massini by 52 to 48 percent of the vote.

``I'm very gratified in the trust and confidence that the voters of
Mendocino County have given me,'' Vroman told the Santa Rosa Press
Democrat, which reported his victory Wednesday.

Vroman, who campaigned as a pro-marijuana ``tax rebel,'' urged voters
to overlook both his prison record and financial woes. He pledged in
return ``not to betray them or violate their trust.''

Mendocino County, a largely rural area about 100 miles north of San
Francisco known as a haven for free-thinkers and cannabis farmers,
also got a new, pro-marijuana sheriff Tuesday when Lt. Tony Craver
beat Lt. Phil Pintane, the Press Democrat reported.

Craver campaigned with Vroman, and both men support the
decriminalization of marijuana.