D.A., SHERIFF ATTACK DAVIS' CAMPAIGN AD

Grainy images of Huey helicopters flying across a hazy battlefield fill the
screen, followed by an old picture of Lt. Gov. Gray Davis receiving a
military award.

A rich, baritone voice speaks of Davis' expansion of neighborhood watch
programs and fight against crime as images of Davis talking with women in a
neighborhood and pumping the arms of police officers flash across the screen.

The message is clear D1 Davis, a Democrat, is a strong believer in law and
order.

"I'm astounded that Gray Davis all of a sudden becomes a staunch supporter
of law enforcement and neighborhood watch when that's not his history," said
Kern County Sheriff Carl Sparks after viewing Davis' gubernatorial
television ad currently airing in the Central Valley.

District Attorney Ed Jagels joined Sparks Friday morning at the Bell Tower
Club downtown as the two local Republicans denounced Davis' representation
of where the candidate stands on law enforcement issues.

Davis is facing Republican candidate and state Attorney General Dan Lungren
in the race for the governor's office.

Gov. Pete Wilson has served the state limit of two terms in office.

Jagels called the ad for Davis incredibly deceptive and said Davis' voting
record and stances on the death penalty indicate the Democratic candidate is
anything but a supporter of law enforcement.

Jagels specifically targeted Davis' arguing against the death penalty in
1977 and 1990, as well as his voting record on Senate Bill 1427 in 1984 and
Assembly Bill 989 in 1986. Both pieces of legislation dealt with the death
penalty.

A spokesman for Davis' campaign refuted the allegations made during Friday's
gathering.

"Gray Davis' record is indisputable," said Michael Bustamante, Davis' press
secretary. "He is a longtime supporter of the death penalty and the version
of 'three strikes' legislation put forward by district attorneys who deal
with violent felons each day."

According to information provided by Davis' campaign, as an assemblyman from
Los Angeles Davis voted no on SB 1427 and AB 989, but those votes don't
represent opposition to the death penalty.

Davis' no vote on SB 1427 came only after the bill stalled in the Public
Safety Committee. Assemblyman Bill Filante made a motion to withdraw the
bill from the committee for a floor vote.

The vote followed party lines and was done as a procedural matter, campaign
officials stated.

AB 989 also stalled in committee and its author, Assemblyman Gary Condit,
made a motion to maneuver the bill to a conference.

Davis' campaign asserted the candidate voted no as did several other
pro-death penalty Democrats.

Sparks focused his complaint on Davis' assertion that he founded the
statewide neighborhood watch program.

A Davis did start the program, Sparks said, but it was former Los Angeles
Police Chief Ed Davis.

Bustamante said he found it odd that Ed Davis would be credited with
starting the program.

According to Bustamante, Gray Davis' record clearly demonstrates that as
chair of the California Council on Criminal Justice in 1975, he began the
program and has said so repeatedly during his run at various elected offices.

"It's a pattern of deception and trying to distort Gray's record,"
Bustamante said.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett