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  • Anthony Cicchelli

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May 25, 2012

Troubled prosecutor wants another chance

BY ART BUKOWSKI abukowski@record-eagle.com

BEULAH — Anthony Cicchelli wants to climb back in the saddle.

Cicchelli, Benzie County's prosecutor from 1996 until 2008, filed to run for that office again this year. John B. Daugherty, the county's current prosecutor, decided to instead seek the probate judge's post.

Cicchelli drew criticism from some law enforcement officials during his first stint as prosecutor, and was reprimanded by attorney grievance panels for dismissing speeding tickets for friends and family. He also had a turbulent relationship with local media members, and at one point banned them from his office.

"I'll be the first to admit I made some mistakes in the past," Cicchelli said. "I know I've paid for those, I've learned from those, and I believe I'm a better person for it."

Cicchelli, a Republican, will square off against fellow Republicans Michael Smith, of Lake Ann, and Sara Mason, of Beulah, in the August primary. No Democrats filed to run.

Since he left the prosecutor's office, Cicchelli and has run a private practice and served in the pool of attorneys appointed by the court to represent defendants who can't afford their own lawyer.

Benzie County Sheriff Rory Heckman, who leaves office at the end of the year, was a vocal critic of Cicchelli when Cicchelli was prosecutor. He charged that Cicchelli at times wasn't aggressive enough in prosecuting cases, among other problems.

But Heckman said Cicchelli appears to be performing well in private practice.

"He's done a very competent job, a very good job representing his clients," Heckman said.

An attorney grievance panel reprimanded Cicchelli for asking Benzie Magistrate Hope Cicansky to throw out a speeding ticket issued to his stepson in 2008. In 2005, another panel said he made "negligently inaccurate statements" to a magistrate and state police during an investigation of a 2002 incident when he dismissed a friend's speeding ticket.

He also drew sharp criticism after it came to light in 2008 that he reduced or dismissed charges for a man who once was his teammate in a summer softball league.

Cicchelli also faced a misdemeanor assault charge after an incident in late 2010 at Frankfort Elementary School. Family members of a boy, then 9, said Cicchelli put his arms around and squeezed the boy and also pushed his fist against the boy's ribs.

A jury found Cicchelli not guilty of assault after a one-day trial.

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