Whether it's a Chino Meat-Packing Company endangering the national food supply, or fraudulent and predatory mortgage lending schemes that defraud citizens out of millions of dollars, the Office of the San Bernardino County District Attorney has taken on serious high-profile challenges of late.

Something where others might look the other way.

San Bernardino County prosecutions are becoming increasingly visible in the national media outlets and their level of complexity amplifies that attention. In times past, county prosecutors would routinely look at complicated criminal acts and defer prosecution "In the interest of justice" or "Insufficient evidence", because of lack of confidence in being able to effectively present the case to a jury.

The development of a team of well-trained Deputy District Attorneys with the necessary skill sets and level of understanding to prosecute such cases is now being realized in San Bernardino County. This endeavor has been a key focus for District Attorney Michael Ramos and he should be commended for staying the course.

The recent string of successful prosecutions by highly specialized units such as Real Estate Fraud, Public Integrity, Insurance Fraud, and others have gained high visibility in recent times. A trend I'm sure we all hope will continue.

Complicated times bring sophisticated criminals. A trend that unfortunately will likely continue.