Meanwhile

 Lowering the Bar -  Among the terrific candidates running for office this year is Matthew Leveridge, a former prosecutor who acknowledges he made a “mistake” eight years ago when he got a criminal defendant pregnant. The woman was on a pretrial-diversion program when the affair began, and when she told Leveridge’s wife about the affair, he moved to terminate the program. Leveridge was replaced, but was never disciplined for the conduct. “If you’re a prosecutor,” the woman’s lawyer said, “you’re not even supposed to talk to a defendant without her attorney being presdent, much less … well, this.” According to the report, Leveridge met the woman through a probation officer with whom he was having sex, and has also been “the subject of a criminal investigation for allegedly having sex with jurors.” He is now running for circuit judge.