In this installment of our continuing series on the upcoming June primary election, we look at the election of Superior Court judges.  When reading the frequent stories of sexual predators that get either a short sentence, or an early release, after which they are free to rape and murder again (see related story), we begin to wonder how judges are held accountable for their actions and conduct.  In the June 8 primary election, voters will be asked to elect some new judges.  In Part 1 of this election installment, we consider one of those races, while in Part 2, we will address the second such contest.

According to a spokesperson for the Superior Court, Orange County has 115 Superior Court Judges and 28 Superior Court Commissioners.  All California Superior Court Judges are elected to 6 year terms.  Of those, www.OC180NEWS.com was told by the Registrar of Voters, that 50 are up for re-election in June.  But, you will only find 5 on the June 8 ballot.

The remaining 45 judges filed papers to run again for their jobs, but nobody file to run against them.  Thus, these judges will not even appear on the ballot.  Unlike other offices up for re-election, if the race is not competitive, it does not appear on the ballot.  This proverbial “slipping under the radar” is unique to Superior Court judges.  For example, John Moorlach is running unopposed for the County Supervisor representing the Second District.  But, even though he has no competition, this race will still be on the ballot.

The other backgrounder about judges is office numbers.  Appearing on the ballot will be something like “            Superior Court Judge, Office No. 16.  Vote for 1.”  The office numbers do not mean anything, they are only for record keeping.  All of these judges serve the county at large and thus, office numbers do not refer to a specific district within the county.  Also, the office numbers do not relate to any particular type of court case, or any other meaningful aspect of the jobs.

Not only do judges with no competition slip off the ballot, there are no races where the incumbent judge is being challenged.  The only judgeships on the June 8 ballot are for offices where the judge decline to run.  So, there are no contests where an incumbent judge is facing off against a challenger, and, as we are told off the record, that’s the way it normally works.

Typically, how people become judges is by waiting for one of the judges who are up for reelection to decide they have had enough and decline to run.  Then a deputy district attorney gets endorsed by the retiring judge and files for the slot.  That is what happened for Andy Manssourian.

But Manssourian unlike most of the Judge candidates has competition for his race.  In three of the five slots on this year’s ballot, there is no competitor.  Scott Steiner, Cheri Pham, and Nick Dourbetas, all Deputy District Attorneys, will be elected to judgeships on June 8 because they are running unopposed.  Assuming there are no write in candidates, all these three individuals need to do in order to secure a six year term as a Superior Court Judge is vote for them.

That leaves only two of the 50 judge slots left to actual competition.  Running against Manssourian for Superior Court Judge, Office No. 16 is Gerald L. Klein, Attorney/Law Professor.  The second competitive race is for Superior Court Judge, Office No. 50.  In this matchup, Julian W. Bailey, Juvenile Court Referee, goes against Lon Hurwitz, Superior Court Commissioner.  That’s it—the people will only get to make a choice in two of the 50 races to elect Superior Court Judges.

In this Part 1, we address the race for Office 16.  Part 2, which will be published tomorrow, will provide information on the contest for Office 50.

In the race for office 16, Andy Manssourian appears to be the inside candidate.  In addition to receiving the endorsement of retiring Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Sundvold, he is endorsed by his current boss, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, tons of current and retired judges, and just about every other Republican politician imaginable.

Besides endorsements from a who’s who of GOP folks, 37 year old Manssourian’s main claim to qualification for election as a Superior Court Judge is ten years as a deputy District Attorney.  He has not previously served as a judge.  His competition has many more years of legal experience, but no time in the DA’s Office.

Gerald Klein told www.OC180NEWS.com that over the past 25 years, he has some occasional experience as a temporary/volunteer judge, but his main claim to fame is 33 years of practicing law.  He said of his legal experience “In recent years, its family law.  I’m a Certified Family Law Specialist.”

We asked Klein what he thought was his most important experience that qualifies him to be a Superior Court Judge.  He told us “It’s actually the accumulation of all of my life experiences, as well as my 33 years in practice, my familiarity of the areas of law that I teach, and the great insights that I’ve learned sitting as a volunteer temporary judge.”

Klein’s web site includes the following statement: “Gerald L. Klein does not solicit or accept endorsements from political groups or organizations. Gerry Klein only accepts support and endorsements from current or former judicial officers and commissioners, attorneys and professionals affiliated with the legal profession, bar associations, media covering the courts.”

That probably explains why all the GOP big wigs have endorsed Manssourian over Klein.  It seems clear that for Office 16, Judge of the Superior Court, if you want the younger man and the GOP/DA’s insider candidate, Manssourian is your man.  On the other hand, if you want a system outsider, with many more years of legal experience, Klein should be your choice.

When considering DA endorsement and/or experience as a prosecutor in the district attorney’s office, keep in mind that the judge in the CHP/child molestation case, Marc Kelly, was himself a former Deputy District Attorney.

Visit www.OC180NEWS.com tomorrow for Part 2 of this installment of our election coverage.  That article will consider the only other competitive judicial race, Office 50.