As expected, it's Williams for D.A.; Butkovitz re-elected

DEMOCRAT Seth Williams will take office in January as Philadelphia's first new district attorney in 18 years - promising to focus on illegal guns, to target repeat offenders and to ensure that prosecutors do a better job of charging suspects with the right offenses.

Williams easily defeated Republican Michael Untermeyer in a low-turnout election yesterday, despite a spirited campaign by Untermeyer, a former Democrat who put $200,000 of his own cash into his campaign.

Democratic City Controller Alan Butkovitz also cruised to an easy re-election victory over GOP challenger Al Schmidt, who touted his political independence and even sparred with leaders of his own party over the course of the campaign.

With 95 percent of the vote counted last night, Williams led Untermeyer by nearly a 3-1 margin. Butkovitz was leading Schmidt 72 to 28 percent, roughly the same margin he got when he first won the Controller's Office four years ago.

Williams said he's planning changes in the District Attorney's Office when he takes over for Lynne Abraham, who chose not to run for re-election this year.

"I've been working hard this summer and doing my homework," Williams said.

Williams said that former City Solicitor Mark Aronchick and Temple Law School Dean JoAnne Epps have agreed to serve as co-chairs of his transition team, and that he'll announce a top appointment soon.

He said he intends to revamp the office's charging unit, so that weak cases are weeded out, first-time nonviolent offenders are directed to alternative programs, and prosecutors are better prepared to pursue serious cases.

"We have to put people in the charging unit that demonstrate good judgment," Williams said. "Now people get sent there as a punishment when they've upset someone in the command structure. We have to make it a place where excellence is demanded."

Williams said he'll establish community-outreach centers to bring the office closer to neighborhoods, but has backed away from an earlier goal of reorganizing prosecutions along geographical lines.

Williams said that he thinks businesses will donate space for the outreach centers and that it's important for prosecutors to have more contact with communities.

"We have a terrible 'no snitching' culture, and the District Attorney's Office has to meet people half way," Williams said.

Untermeyer said he was proud of the campaign he'd run. "We raised important issues, like the need for reform in the bail system in the city, and the fact that the D.A.'s office doesn't pursue economic crime."

Untermeyer, who ran for sheriff as a Democrat two years ago, said he would continue to pursue "public service." Asked if he would remain a Republican, he said, "I don't have an answer for that."

Butkovitz said he would continue to make performance audits of city services a priority in the Controller's Office over routine financial reviews.

"We want to look at police deployment and other operations, and make sure vital services are organized to serve the public's needs," Butkovitz said.

Schmidt, a former federal auditor who campaigned full time this year, said he would stay active in city issues and work with "the Republicans, Democrats and independents who came together to support our effort."