The topics:

Standardizing criminal justice operations in both districts, St. Thomas-St. John and St. Croix:

V.I. Attorney General Rosalie Simmonds Ballentine agreed to be interviewed Monday for this article. She considered questions from Daily News reporter Melvin Claxton about her office's policies, procedures and handling of cases, and she voiced her views on two topics.

"One of the things we are struggling to do, I shouldn't use the word struggling, I should say striving to do over the last two or three years is to make whatever systems and policies we implement the same from island to island.

Competency of the prosecutors on her staff:

"Competency is a difficult word. It's a matter of whose standard you apply. Is everybody we have the best prosecutors money can buy? No. Are these the best prosecutors in the Virgin Islands or the best prosecutors we can bring from anywhere else? No. Are these people who have a level of competency and ability and who are willing to work in this department for what we pay and with the pressures we put on them? Yes."

Q: How long have you been a prosecutor?

A: I am not a prosecutor.

Q: But you work in this office?

A: I am a litigator, not a prosecutor. There is a difference between being a litigator and a prosecutor.

Q: Judge Brady seems to think you are our chief prosecutor.

A: I am our chief prosecutor because I am in charge of this office. I am also an administrator. That's my job.

Q: I am not quite clear on this.

A: You asked me if I am a prosecutor. I am not going to lie to you. I am not a prosecutor. Do I supervise prosecutors? Yes. Do I hire people with the ability to supervise prosecutors? Yes. Can I prosecute? Yes. Do I know what's necessary to prosecute? Yes.

Q: Have you ever prosecuted a case?

A: I have, as part of a clinic. But I have not been an active prosecutor. I have not done criminal prosecution.

Q: Do you think this affects your ability to run this office, which is primarily a prosecutors' office?

A: Firstly, this is not primarily a prosecutors' office. And it does not affect my ability, no.

Q: This is not primarily a prosecutors' office?

A: This office is the government's law office. A very crucial part of this office is prosecution.

Q: Not the most crucial?

A: Let me tell you something. If there is an issue that involves millions of dollars for the government, is that not important as well? Where there are appeals, whether civil or criminal, where the stakes are what the law is going to be or what this government's financial exposure is going to be, is that not important?

Q: Is crime your primary focus?

A: For me to tell you this is our main focus, no it cannot be our main focus. It is a priority area, it is a very important area, it is critical area. It is an area we give a lot of our time and attention to, perhaps the majority of our time. But we have other important areas as well.

Q: Is this office contributing to crime by having such a high percentage of plea bargains?

A: The only thing that I can tell you is that we have guidelines on how pleas can be offered. The system would literally fail (if we get rid of plea bargains). It really makes sense to plea-bargain cases.

Q: Are you satisfied with the level of convictions:

A: We are easy whipping boys -- if the police don't do what they are supposed to do, it's the AG who gets the blame. If the courts give a light sentence, it's the AG who gets the blame.