CHARLES “CHAS” CALENDA
A orney General Candidate Wants to Put “Law Above Politics” by Mark Berger “The Attorney General wields a lot of power in deciding who to prosecute and which cases should move forward,” he said. “The current Attorney General is putting himself into the fray politically by advocating for passage of partisan bills and not staying in his lane to enforce the laws already on the books. If I am elected to serve in this capacity, I will do everything within my powers to ensure Rhode Island law is impartially enforced and to protect and defend the state and US constitutions.
Calenda laid out several points he would like to accomplish while in office:
A lifelong resident devoted toward serving the citizens of this state, Charles “Chas” Calenda declared his intention to run for the state’s Attorney General seat based on his career in prosecution and his belief the office has not lived up to its billing of seeking “justice for all.” He seeks the Republican nomination to face off against Democratic incumbent Peter Neronha in November. Calenda, who was raised in East Greenwich and currently resides in West Greenwich with his wife, Stephanie, said the current office holder should be the state’s chief law enforcement officer. Instead, he said Attorney General Neronha has used the office to play partisan politics and not be an advocate for the people of Rhode Island. Calenda said that he would use the office to effectively litigate cases based on their merits without political considerations for anyone involved and hopefully serve as a meaningful check and balance on the government itself when it steps out of line, legally speaking.
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First and foremost, he wants to be the “minister of justice” in this position, the moniker given to prosecutors by the United States Supreme Court. It is the job of a prosecutor to do the right thing in every case all the time and to seek the just outcomes in every matter that comes before the Office. Second, to be more aggressive in prosecuting violent and habitual offenders. He said too many people who happen to be career criminals are given light sentences, serve their time and continue their destructive paths. Calenda noted a recent case where Neronha’s office gave a six-time convicted felon a suspended sentence in 2019 for his seventh and eighth felony convictions. On New Years Day in 2022, this same individual, while still on probation for the 2019 cases, allegedly killed a 17-year old East Greenwich girl on Route 95 after crashing into her vehicle in an incident the victim’s family has described as “depraved.” He said that instance demonstrates the need to be more proactive in keeping violent criminal accountable in meaningful ways so we can avoid such tragic consequences. Third, make training more of a priority for incoming attorneys. Calenda said the number of experienced attorneys working in the office
