Joshua Seiden, former deputy Douglas County district attorney, says he knew his application to Lawrence’s Community Police Review Board would likely stir up some controversy.
The board is tasked with reviewing complaints against Lawrence police officers. Lawrence city commissioners in May approved an ordinance that expands the CPRB’s duties, but the revamped version of the board has not yet begun meeting.
Seiden left the DA’s office in June after he had dressed up as anti-mask protester and frequent public commenter Justin Spiehs, which Seiden later said was his attempt to “meet hatred with humor.” (Read more about that in this article.)
Seiden and six other applicants applied to serve on various city advisory boards and received nominations from at least one Lawrence city commissioner, but between the agenda for the commission’s meeting being published on Aug. 2 and the meeting itself on Aug. 6, their names were removed.
Most of those applicants — including Seiden — have been added back to the appointment list for consideration during the commission’s meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 13. (Read more about that in this article.)
Seiden said he couldn’t recall how he found out he had been removed from the appointment list ahead of the commission’s meeting, but he went to the meeting Tuesday to speak in case any commissioners decided to renominate him.
“The reason I applied was because I believe I am someone who can get this board off the ground,” Seiden told commissioners of the CPRB. “I can have those those difficult conversations. We created and formulated a working policy; I’d do that for the city here. When you’ve made some mistakes, what better way to get right with the community than to serve that community? I’m here. I’m part of this community. I’m not going anywhere.”
Seiden referenced the Brady-Giglio policy he and Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez had implemented in 2021, sparking some pushback from law enforcement. Put simply, the policy covers misconduct by officers and how that information is handled in criminal cases. Defendants have a right to a fair trial, and misconduct by officers can play a role in that. (Read more in the coverage and info at this link.)
Seiden — in a phone conversation Thursday after he was added back on to the list of appointments that the commission will consider on Tuesday — said he worked closely with the top brass in LPD to ensure the department was in compliance with the policy.
“Within the police department, you’ve got the Office of the Chief, you’ve got the Office of Professional Accountability, and then you’ve got the Lawrence Police Officers Association,” the police union, Seiden said. They each serve different functions and all play a key role in the matters the CPRB will be handling, he said.
Spiehs has filed a complaint against Seiden and Valdez with the Office of the Disciplinary Administrator over Seiden dressing up as him.
Spiehs’ complaint alleges that “Instead of recognizing how unprofessional, mean, and inappropriate this all was, the security video shows Ms. Valdez going along with, encouraging, and ratifying Mr. Seiden’s public mockery of me by laughing and pointing at Mr. Seiden as he strutted around the courthouse entrance impersonating and mocking me.”
The DA’s office has previously prosecuted Spiehs “and has also declined to prosecute people who committed crimes against me,” he wrote in the complaint.
Spiehs also spoke to city commissioners during their meeting Tuesday, asking them to put themselves in his position. He asked how they would feel if someone had dressed up as one of them, and whether they would still nominate that person to the CPRB.
Seiden said that by the time he received Spiehs’ complaint, he had already self-reported to the ODA.
He said during his time as a solo practitioner and then as deputy DA, he probably had “somewhere in the ballpark of probably 10 to 12 complaints” filed against him, and he did not think Spiehs’ complaint would impair his ability to do his job.
“I’ve never received any form of discipline. Anyone can file a complaint against anyone, and it’s just — it’s kind of an occupational hazard,” he said. “… Obviously, I walked myself right into this one.”
As a CPRB member, Seiden said, he would recuse himself from reviewing a complaint if he felt he couldn’t be fair and impartial.
Seiden is back to private practice as a criminal defense attorney. Prior to working for the last three and a half years as a prosecutor under Valdez, Seiden had worked as a defense attorney taking mostly court-appointed cases in Douglas County.
He said he thinks the city commission needs people on their boards who are able to assist them in doing their work. Based on his experience and qualifications, he is well positioned to do that, he said.
“If we’re concerned about optics over substance, I can certainly appreciate that. I hope that we go with substance, because that’s how we get forward progress on these difficult matters,” Seiden said.
Nominees who have been approved to serve on the CPRB thus far include Caleb Stephens, Patricia Dahl and Michael Machell for three-year terms and Kristin Fisher for a two-year term.
Seiden previously appeared on the appointment list for a two-year term, but has been added back to the list recommended for a one-year term.
Douglass Miller has been nominated for a two-year term, and Adam Kellogg has been nominated for a one-year term. The commission will vote on those appointments during their meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 13.
Valdez lost the Aug. 6 primary election, coming in third place out of three candidates. Democrat Dakota Loomis will advance to face Republican Mike Warner in the Nov. 5 general election.
The Lawrence City Commission will meet at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13 at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St. See the complete meeting agenda at this link.
Meetings are open to the public and livestreamed on the city’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/@lawrenceksvideo.
The commission accepts written public comment until noon the day of the meeting emailed to ccagendas@lawrenceks.org. The commission also hears public comment in person during meetings as well as via Zoom. Register for Tuesday’s Zoom meeting at this link.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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