ORANGE LAWMEN ARGUE DRUG POLICY

Challenger forces Orange County sheriff to defend his
record

The sheriff's race between two law-enforcement veterans is receiving
considerable attention in Orange County.

Sheriff Charles Feldman, 51, is running against Jack Davis, who has 23
years of law enforcement experience.

The 66-year-old Locust Grove resident said his main objective in this
race is to raise the awareness of drugs in the community.

"Orange County is saturated with drugs. The current sheriff's
department knows where these drug dealers live and where drugs are
being dispensed from, but are afraid to confront them," Davis said.

Feldman, who has been in office for about seven years, denies all
accusations and said drug prevention has always been a priority.

Orange County sheriff's deputies have been working with the Blue Ridge
Narcotics Task Force for about 15 years, he said.

"I think we have less of a drug problem than surrounding
jurisdictions," Feldman said. "We just arrested a major crack dealer
weeks ago, and always do what we can to prevent drugs from being here."

Feldman said he hopes Davis will come forward with any information he
might have on drug dealers.

Davis said he wants to also improve the relationship between the
Sheriff's Office and county residents.

"Citizens and students despise the Sheriff's Department because the
only relationship is that of a Gestapo image portrayed by law
enforcement," he said.

The Orange County's Sheriff's Office has several community outreach
programs, including placing safety-resource officers at the schools
and its Senior Triad program, which teaches senior citizens ways to
avoid being victims of crime, Feldman said.

There are two other races involving constitutional
offices.

Joyce Clark, the commissioner of revenue, is retiring after serving 18
years. She was chief deputy commissioner for 17 years before that.

Now, Clark's chief deputy, Donna Chewning, is running against Susan
Lee Ratcliffe.

Chewning, 50, has 27 years of experience in the office. Ratcliffe, 55,
is a financial center specialist for Wachovia Bank in Orange. She has
32 years of banking experience.

The competition for the chief prosecutor will result in the county
having its first elected female commonwealth's attorney.

Anne Joseph, the current acting commonwealth's attorney, is running
for the permanent position.

The 42-year-old Gordonsville resident took the job in March when Tim
Sanner, who served four terms as commonwealth's attorney, was
appointed 16th Circuit Court judge by the Virginia General Assembly.

Joseph had been serving as his assistant since November
2001.

"I bring dedication and integrity to the position and I know what it
takes to run this office," she said.

Diana Wheeler, Joseph's opponent, feels the same way about
herself.

The 46-year-old town of Orange resident served as an assistant
commonwealth's attorney from 1993 to 1996. She is now a partner at
Sommerville, Carter, Wilkinson and Wheeler law firm.

"I have much more criminal law experience and I've represented the
people in courts for the past 10 years," she said.