It was only 629 votes.

Patrick A. Oman tallied 7,503.

Patrick W. Flanagan garnered 8,132.

Oman lost.

Flanagan won.

The November 2002 election for Mower County Attorney changed everything.

The incumbent, Oman, had served as Mower County Attorney since July 1990, when he was appointed to fill the remainder of his predecessor's term. Then he won his first four-year term in November 1990 and was re-elected twice in 1994 and 1998.

He and his wife, Janet, and their children came to Mower County when he accepted a job as assistant Mower County Attorney.

At the time, Nancy Evans was Mower County's first female county attorney.

Criticism of Evans grew. Law enforcement was dissatisfied with her prosecutorial efforts. Hints of ineffective counsel surfaced in the courthouse. A behind-the-scenes campaign was mounted to encourage someone else to run for the office.

Why not that new assistant county attorney? He could change things, some said. Could he be a true friend to local law enforcement? He would be tough on crime.

Fast forward to the spring of 2002 and substitute "Flanagan" for "Oman."

Flanagan, an assistant county attorney hired by Oman in the summer of 2001, received the endorsement of local law enforcement in his bid to unseat Oman, who law enforcement said was "soft on crime" and an "ineffective prosecutor."

Now,

Flanagan has begun a new four-year-long term in the prosecutor's office, doing things "his way."

But what about Oman? What are his plans for the future?

The former prosecutor discussed the changes in his life at length. Here is that interview:

Since 1987, you have been at the forefront of fighting crime in Mower County. What were some of your most difficult criminal cases?

As for the cases that stand out as being the most difficult convictions obtained, I would have to say that the Downtown Motel murders and the Gordon Miles and Patty Boyd cases were the hardest ones. The Miles case presented a difficult case to begin with, only to have the difficulty compounded by the fact that so much of it rose and fell on the ability of a 6-year-old girl to identify her attacker and then testify about the crime.

The Boyd case was difficult because of the emotional component. It was hard enough that Boyd allowed her newborn daughter to die in a toilet, but it was apparent that the jury struggled with disbelieving that anyone would do such a depraved thing. One also had to wonder what pressures Boyd was under to commit such an act.

The Christian, Christian and Powers cases, resulting from the double homicide at the Downtown Motel, were difficult because of the immense size of the case and because so many of the witnesses were difficult to deal with. It ultimately became the largest joint murder trial in Minnesota history. With the venue of a month-long trial being transferred to Hastings, the logistics of having so many Mower County personnel available made the case difficult to handle.

What were the most frustrating cases that you won or lost as Mower County Attorney?

The cases that were the most frustrating to handle were the domestic abuse cases and the intrafamilial criminal sexual conduct cases, mainly because of the family relationship component. Victims and witnesses recanted -- some several times -- or sometimes simply disappeared. We would be asked to dismiss good cases and to pursue cases that had no chance of conviction.

Trying to deal with such situations was not only frustrating, but heart-breaking as well.

During one particular trial, an entire family relationship totally disintegrated in front of the jury and probably will never be repaired. Not all such cases were beyond redemption, however.

There were many cases when people realized their responsibilities and held firm with us to bring success to a case.

The worst tragedy of these cases, however, is the effect on children. We have long known that many behaviors are learned, and it has been sad to not only see crimes committed against and in the presence of children, but to often see those same children as they end up in the criminal justice system.

Since coming here in 1987, the County Attorney's Office has seen several cases of multi-generational families become involved with the system.

In your 2002 election campaign ads, you poked fun at your opponent's claim to have so many endorsements by listing the people who wouldn't endorse you. They were, of course, felons you prosecuted and sent to prison. Who are some of the most memorable "characters" you met as a prosecutor for the county?

Characters!? There have been so many notable and unusual characters in the past several years that it would be impossible to count or describe them all.

From my front seat in the system for these many years, I have seen virtually every kind of psychosis, neurosis, vanity, phobia and fetish, which can be imagined, including opposing counsel using a "psychic" to help pick a jury, during the Miles case. However, when it comes to those who have demonstrated true character, there have been a few.

I would first commend former Mower County Sheriff Wayne Goodnature. He was truly a sheriff's sheriff. He not only could expertly direct and oversee an investigation, but he knew the law as well.

Mower County Sheriff's Detective

-- now a BCA agent -- Dale Russell was the absolute finest investigator I ever worked with.

His cases were always thoroughly investigated and superbly organized. There is still no one better at providing trial support for the big cases.

Last, but not least, is Dr. Rose Linderman, who helped us delve into the area of using psychologists during jury selection. Here assistance was truly invaluable during the Miles case and the Erickson murder trial.

Of course, I can't forget to mention three people who have departed us.

Shirlee Dowd was the most loyal and efficient support person I ever had the privilege of working with. Bob Auron, an unlikely combination of attorney, baseball fanatic and Russian history buff, did a magnificent job working in the areas of child support and protection, and is still greatly missed.

Of course, I can't forget to mention Judge Mike Seibel, whom I had the privilege of appearing before for several years.

I take comfort in believing that I will have the chance to meet up with them again "on the other side."

The Minnesota Court of Appeals recently affirmed another Mower County Third Judicial District Court ruling in connection with the June 2001 Downtown Motel murders. You were in the middle of that high-profile case with the Minnesota Attorney General's office's attorneys. The simultaneous trials of three defendants on first degree murder charges was the state's first. Do you have any observations to share?

I was honored to represent Mower County during the joint trial of Scott Christian, David Christian and Vernon Powers, the largest joint murder trial in Minnesota history. The recent Minnesota Supreme Court decision upholding the conviction of Powers is nothing more than what was expected. Judge Rysavy, now considered one of the best trial judges in the state, handled the whole case in the most professional manner, thus insuring rulings that would not result in overturning of the convictions.

What kind of grade would Pat Oman, private citizen, give Pat Oman, former Mower County Attorney?

I don't believe that there is any legitimate way of putting a "grade" on anyone's performance as an elected official.

I can honestly say that I am proud of the progress that our office made from the time I first arrived in 1987.

The office had progressed from manual typewriters to computerized legal research, complaint generation and presentations.

The caseload increased until it was well over double what it had been when I first arrived. The severity of crimes increased.

Considering that for all of these things, only one staff member was added was amazing. The unfortunate aspect is that the staffing level should have increased substantially to handle the change in the office's situation, but did not because of the expense to Mower County.

Everyone keeps asking, "What is Pat Oman going to do next in life?"

At this time, I have agreed to join Peter Plunkett of Plunkett & Associates in private practice and will be starting with him at the beginning of February 2003.

Plunkett's office has demonstrated technological development of practice and has a wide array of cases being handled. I look forward to joining Peter Plunkett and Tom Lenway and continuing my involvement in the Austin community.

This could be your swan song from public life. Any final comments?

I want to thank my wife, Janet, and my children, Nikolas, Katrina and Malachi for their support during the time I served as Mower County Attorney.

The demands of the job often took away from the time I should have spent with them.

I also wish to thank the citizens of Mower County for allowing me to serve them these many years.

One last question: Take a look back and then forward and tell us your version of what has happened in the criminal justice system and what lies ahead.

The nature of the job has rapidly changed. There was a time not so long ago when prosecution was a relatively slow process and there were not many cases. Trials took place fairly quickly. In a short time, the court system became overloaded, as were most prosecutors.

What had been a fairly clean and simple criminal justice system became infinitely more complex with the advent of such things as sentencing guidelines and perpetually new statutes to address virtually every possible situation. State constitutional law often split from federal constitutional law.

County government became saddled with new regulations and requirements by the state and the federal government.

Many of our citizens look to the County Attorney's Office as a source of power to heal wounds or prevent harm. It is none of these things. A prosecutor has a role to play, including that of protecting the accused.

If the Office is to live up to its demands and expectations, there must be the same dedication from the county's citizens to provide for the Office's needs.

It is not enough to simply say that there will be "communication" with law enforcement since that is nothing more than preaching to the choir. There must be results and an environment with resources where results can take place.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com