California judicial elections, 2014

Overview
Total candidates:  | 608
Primary candidates:  | 111
General election candidates:  | 520
Incumbency
Incumbents:  | 509
Incumbent success rate:  | 99%
Competition - general election
Percent of candidates in contested races:  | 4%
Percent uncontested:  | 86%
Percent retention:  | 10%

2015 →

<- 2013

Judicial Elections
Judicial elections, 2014
Judicial election dates
Candidates by state
Supreme court elections

## Contents

* 1 Election dates
* 2 General election: Contested races
* 3 General election: Retentions
* 3.1 Supreme court
* 3.2 Courts of appeal
* 3.2.1 First District Court of Appeal
* 3.2.2 Second District Court of Appeal
* 3.2.3 Third District Court of Appeal
* 3.2.4 Fourth District Court of Appeal
* 3.2.5 Fifth District Court of Appeal
* 3.2.6 Sixth District Court of Appeal
* 4 General election: Uncontested
* 5 Primary
* 6 Process
* 6.1 Retention
* 6.2 Nonpartisan elections
* 7 Fees
* 8 Noteworthy events
* 8.1 Races open for California judiciary seats
* 8.2 Recount expected in LA County Superior Court race
* 8.3 Five candidates run in Nevada County race
* 8.4 California candidate speaks against removal of her billboards
* 8.5 Superior court seat open in Fresno County
* 8.6 Meet the Yolo County Superior Court candidates
* 8.7 Incumbent not endorsed by Santa Clara County Bar Association
* 9 See also
* 10 External links
* 11 Footnotes

The key races amongst many California judicial elections in 2014 were the contested superior court races. The following counties featured trial court races with two or more candidates: Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Imperial, Los Angeles, Monterey, Nevada, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Yolo and Yuba.

Of the 470 superior court judges who ran for re-election in the 2014 general election, 450 were unopposed and did not appear on the ballot. There were 10 contested races in which two incumbents were defeated.

Also in 2014, voters had the opportunity to choose whether or not to retain certain justices of the supreme court and the courts of appeal. Such retention elections only occur every four years.

See: California elections summary, 2014.

In addition to candidate lists, this page includes information about how the state's judicial elections work, as well as articles about noteworthy news in races across the state.

### Election dates[edit]

* March 7: Filing deadline for superior court candidates
* June 3: Primary
* August 15: Filing deadline for appellate court justices seeking retention
* November 4: General election[1][2]

## General election: Contested races[edit]

(I) denotes incumbent

Calaveras County Superior Court, Dept. 1

* Dana Leanne Pfeil, 46.8%A
* Grant Barrett, 52.8%A

Calaveras County Superior Court, Dept. 2

* Hugh K. Swift (I), 46.3%A
* Tim Healy, 53.3%A

Fresno County Superior Court, Office 15

* Lisa M. Gamoian, 51.1%A
* Rachel Hill, 48.5%A

Los Angeles County Superior Court, Office 61

* Dayan Mathai, 44.7%A
* Jacqueline H. Lewis, 55.3%A

Los Angeles County Superior Court, Office 87

* Andrew M. Stein, 41.2%A
* Tom Griego, 58.6%A

Nevada County Superior Court, Seat 1

* Anna Ferguson, 43.2%A
* Robert Tice-Raskin, 56.8%A

Orange County Superior Court, Office 14

* Kenneth C. "KC" Jones, 41.9%A
* Kevin Haskins, 58.1%A

San Diego County Superior Court, Office 25

* Brad A. Weinreb, 56.7%A
* Ken Gosselin, 43.3%A

San Francisco County Superior Court, Office 20

* Carol Kingsley, 41%A
* Daniel A. Flores, 59%A

Santa Clara County Superior Court, Office 24

* Diane Ritchie (I), 45.9%A
* Matthew S. Harris, 54.1%A

## General election: Retentions[edit]

Justices of the appellate courts face retention every four years.[2]

### Supreme court[edit]

Retention

Judge| Election Vote

|

WerdegarKathryn Mickle Werdegar| 72.6% A
CuéllarMariano-Florentino Cuéllar| 67.7% A
LiuGoodwin Liu| 67.1% A

Justice Werdegar, 78, was retained along with Justice Liu, who was 44 at the time of the election. Liu was appointed in 2011 and won his first full term in 2014.[3][4]

Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar was appointed to the court by Governor Jerry Brown in July 2014, and was retained to a full term in November 2014.[5]

### Courts of appeal[edit]

#### First District Court of Appeal[edit]

Retention

Judge| Election Vote

|

KlineAnthony Kline| 75.3% A
PollakStuart Pollak| 74.5% A
JenkinsMartin J. Jenkins| 77.6% A
BankeKathleen M. Banke| 78.8% A
HumesJames M. Humes| 75.4% A
StewartTherese M. Stewart| 77.4% A
BruiniersTerence L. Bruiniers| 75.2% A
RuvoloIgnazio Ruvolo| 73.9% A
SimonsMark Simons| 77.9% A

#### Second District Court of Appeal[edit]

Retention

Judge| Election Vote

|

CollinsAudrey Collins| 71.0% A
HoffstadtBrian M. Hoffstadt| 67.8% A
JohnsonJeffrey W. Johnson| 75.8% A
EdmonLee Edmon| 70.6% A
ManellaNora Manella| 75.3% A
TurnerPaul Turner (California)|
YeganKenneth Yegan| 73.3% A
PerlussDennis Perluss| 67.9% A
RubinLaurence Rubin| 70.2% A
FlierMadeleine Flier| 69.9% A
RothschildFrances Rothschild| 70.7% A

#### Third District Court of Appeal[edit]

Retention

Judge| Election Vote

|

RayeVance Raye| 69.9% A
HochAndrea L. Hoch| 70.4% A
RennerJonathan Renner| 64.7% A
Murray, Jr.William J. Murray, Jr.| 70.7% A
MauroLouis R. Mauro| 66.3% A
DuarteElena J. Duarte| 66.4% A
RobieRonald Robie| 68.6% A

#### Fourth District Court of Appeal[edit]

Retention

Judge| Election Vote

|

FybelRichard Fybel| 63.9% A
AronsonRichard Aronson| 72.9% A
O'RourkeTerry O'Rourke| 74.6% A
NaresGilbert Nares| 71.4% A
O'LearyKathleen O'Leary| 69.9% A
McIntyreJames McIntyre| 75.4% A
RylaarsdamWilliam Rylaarsdam| 70.0% A
ThompsonDavid A. Thompson| 75.3% A
McDonaldAlex McDonald| 75.3% A
HollenhorstThomas Hollenhorst| 73.7% A

#### Fifth District Court of Appeal[edit]

Retention

Judge| Election Vote

|

Peña Jr.Rosendo Peña, Jr.| 55.8% A
Franson Jr.Donald R. Franson, Jr.| 68.5% A
CornellDennis Cornell| 67.0% A
GomesGene Gomes| 60.4% A
KaneStephen Kane| 69.8% A

#### Sixth District Court of Appeal[edit]

Retention

Judge| Election Vote

|

MárquezMiguel Márquez| 72.0% A
GroverAdrienne M. Grover| 76.9% A
PremoEugene Premo| 73.5% A
EliaFranklin Elia| 75.1% A
Bamattre-ManoukianPatricia Bamattre-Manoukian| 74.2% A

## General election: Uncontested[edit]

If a superior court judge runs unopposed for re-election, his or her name does not appear on the ballot and he or she is automatically re-elected following the general election.[6]

The following candidates were unopposed in 2014.

Alameda County Superior Court

* Alice Vilardi
* Brad Seligman
* Carol S. Brosnahan
* Dan Grimmer
* Dennis J. McLaughlin
* Dennis W. Hayashi
* Frank Roesch
* Gregory Syren
* Kevin R. Murphy
* Kimberly E. Colwell
* Leopoldo E. Dorado
* Mark A. McCannon
* Morris D. Jacobson
* Paul D. Herbert
* Robert D. McGuiness
* Scott Patton
* Stephen Kaus
* Stephen M. Pulido
* Steven A. Brick
* Trina Thompson
* Vernon K. Nakahara
* Winifred Younge Smith

Alpine County Superior Court

* Richard D. Meyer

Butte County Superior Court

* Denny R. Forland
* Michael R. Deems

Contra Costa County Superior Court

* Bruce Clayton Mills
* Charles S. Treat
* Cheryl Mills
* Diana Becton
* George V. Spanos
* Judy Johnson
* Lewis A. Davis
* Patricia M. Scanlon
* Susanne M. Fenstermacher
* Terri A. Mockler

Del Norte County Superior Court

* Chris Doehle

El Dorado County Superior Court

* James R. Wagoner
* Steven C. Bailey
* Suzanne N. Kingsbury

Fresno County Superior Court

* Alan M. Simpson
* Arlan L. Harrell
* Carlos A. Cabrera
* D. Tyler Tharpe
* Dale Ikeda
* David Andrew Gottlieb
* Don Penner
* Francine Zepeda
* Gregory T. Fain
* Houry A. Sanderson
* James A. Kelley
* Jane Cardoza
* Jeffrey Y. Hamilton, Jr.
* John F. Vogt
* Jon N. Kapetan
* Jonathan B. Conklin
* Kimberly J. Nystrom-Geist
* M. Bruce Smith
* Mark Wood Snauffer
* Wayne R. Ellison

Kern County Superior Court

* Brian McNamara
* Charles R. Brehmer
* Gary T. Friedman
* John D. Oglesby
* Kenneth C. Twisselman II
* Larry Errea
* Michael G. Bush
* William D. Palmer

Kings County Superior Court

* James LaPorte
* Michael J. Reinhart

Los Angeles County Superior Court

* Alan B. Honeycutt
* Allen Joseph Webster, Jr.
* Ann I. Jones
* Annabelle G. Cortez
* Barbara Marie Scheper
* Bert Glennon, Jr.
* Beverly L. Bourne
* Bruce G. Iwasaki
* Carolyn B. Kuhl
* Charles Carlos Chung
* Christina L. Hill
* Clifford L. Klein
* Craig Richman
* Curtis A. Kin
* Dalila C. Lyons
* Daniel B. Feldstern
* Daniel Brenner
* Daniel P. Ramirez
* Daniel S. Murphy
* Darrell S. Mavis
* David B. Walgren
* David L. Minning
* Deborah S. Brazil
* Debra A. Cole
* Debre Katz Weintraub
* Deirdre H. Hill
* Dorothy L. Shubin
* Douglas W. Sortino
* Douglas W. Stern
* Elizabeth Ann Lippitt
* Ellen Carol DeShazer
* Emilie Harris Elias
* Frank M. Tavelman
* Fred J. Fujioka
* Fred N. Wapner
* Frederick Rotenberg
* Fumiko Hachiya Wasserman
* Gail Ruderman Feuer
* George G. Lomeli
* Gerald Rosenberg
* Gregorio Roman
* H. Clay Jacke II
* H. Jay Ford, III
* Halim Dhanidina
* Hank Goldberg
* Harvey A. Silberman
* Hector M. Guzman
* Hilleri G. Merritt
* Holly J. Fujie
* James N. Bianco
* James R. Dunn
* Jane L. Johnson
* Jared D. Moses
* Jeffrey K. Winikow
* Joel Wallenstein
* John A. Torribio
* John L. Henning
* John Segal
* John T. Doyle
* Jose I. Sandoval
* Joseph A. Brandolino
* Joseph R. Porras
* Juan Carlos Dominguez
* Julie Fox Blackshaw
* Karen Joy Nudell
* Kathleen Blanchard
* Kenji Machida
* Kenneth R. Freeman
* Kerry R. Bensinger
* Kevin L. Brown
* Lauren Weis Birnstein
* Leland H. Tipton
* Leslie E. Brown
* Lloyd C. Loomis
* Lori A. Fournier
* Lori R. Behar
* Lynne M. Hobbs
* Marc D. Gross
* Marcelita V. Haynes
* Margaret Henry
* Margaret L. Oldendorf
* Maria E. Stratton
* Martin Larry Herscovitz
* Mary Lou Villar de Longoria
* Maureen Duffy-Lewis
* Michael Anthony Tynan
* Michael B. Harwin
* Michael Garcia
* Michael J. O'Gara
* Michael J. Raphael
* Michael J. Shultz
* Michael V. Jesic
* Michael Villalobos
* Michelle Williams Court
* Mike Camacho
* Nicole C. Bershon
* Norman J. Shapiro
* Norman Perry Tarle
* Patricia M. Schnegg
* Patricia Nieto
* Patrick A. Cathcart
* Patrick Connolly
* Patti Jo McKay
* Paul A. Bacigalupo
* Peter A. Hernandez
* Ralph W. Dau
* Randolph Rogers
* Ray G. Jurado
* Richard E. Naranjo
* Richard F. Walmark
* Richard H. Kirschner
* Richard L. Fruin, Jr.
* Richard M. Goul
* Richard R. Romero
* Richard S. Kemalyan
* Rita J. Miller
* Robert A. Dukes
* Robert B. Broadbelt
* Robert Leslie Hess
* Robert P. Applegate
* Robert S. Draper
* Roberto Longoria
* Rolf Michael Treu
* Ross M. Klein
* Rupa S. Goswami
* Stanley Blumenfeld
* Stephen P. Pfahler
* Steven D. Blades
* Stuart M. Rice
* Susan M. Speer
* Suzette Clover
* Teresa Sanchez-Gordon
* Teresa T. Sullivan
* Terry A. Green
* Thomas Falls
* Thomas I. McKnew, Jr.
* Thomas R. Sokolov
* Thomas Rubinson
* Thomas T. Lewis
* Tia Graves Fisher
* Tony L. Richardson
* Victor E. Chavez
* Victor L. Wright
* Virginia Keeny
* William D. Stewart
* William N. Sterling
* William P. Barry
* Yvette M. Palazuelos

Madera County Superior Court

* Ernest J. LiCalsi
* Michael Jurkovich

Marin County Superior Court

* Beverly Wood
* Mark A. Talamantes
* Terrence R. Boren
* Verna Alana Adams

Mendocino County Superior Court

* David A. Riemenschneider
* Jeanine B. Nadel
* John A. Behnke

Merced County Superior Court

* Harry L. Jacobs
* John Kirihara

Monterey County Superior Court

* Albert H. Maldonado
* Carrie McIntyre Panetta
* Lydia M. Villarreal
* Mark E. Hood
* Marla O. Anderson
* Sam Lavorato, Jr.
* Stephanie Hulsey
* Timothy P. Roberts

Napa County Superior Court

* Diane M. Price
* Elia Ortiz
* Francisca P. Tisher
* Linda J. Sloven
* Michael S. Williams
* Rodney G. Stone

Placer County Superior Court

* Charles D. Wachob
* Michael W. Jones

Riverside County Superior Court

* Charles E. Stafford, Jr.
* David M. Chapman
* Gail O'Rane
* Harold W. Hopp
* Helios Joe Hernandez II
* James S. Hawkins
* Jeffrey Prevost
* John D. Molloy
* John W. Vineyard
* Judith C. Clark
* Mark A. Mandio
* Matthew C. Perantoni
* Michael J. Rushton
* Otis Sterling III
* Raquel A. Marquez
* Richard T. Fields
* Roger A. Luebs
* Sharon J. Waters

Sacramento County Superior Court

* Alyson Lewis
* Bunmi Awoniyi
* Cheryl Chun Meegan
* David F. De Alba
* Helena R. Gweon
* James E. McFetridge
* James M. Mize
* Judy Holzer Hersher
* Kevin R. Culhane
* Laurel D. White
* Marjorie Koller
* Michael A. Savage
* Michael G. Bowman
* Michael W. Sweet
* Raoul M. Thorbourne
* Steven Gevercer
* Steven Lapham

San Bernardino County Superior Court

* Brian S. McCarville
* Bridgid M. McCann
* Cheryl C. Kersey
* Donald R. Alvarez
* Erin K. Alexander
* Gerard S. Brown
* Harold T. Wilson, Jr.
* J. David Mazurek
* John M. Tomberlin
* Lily L. Sinfield
* Lisa M. Rogan
* Michael A. Knish
* Michael R. Libutti
* Pamela P. King
* Rodney A. Cortez
* Stanford E. Reichert
* Stephan G. Saleson
* Teresa M. Bennett
* William Jefferson Powell IV

San Diego County Superior Court

* Blaine K. Bowman
* Browder A. Willis III
* Carol Isackson
* Carolyn M. Caietti
* Charles R. Gill
* Daniel B. Goldstein
* David J. Danielsen
* David M. Gill
* David M. Szumowski
* Desiree A. Bruce-Lyle
* Earl H. Maas III
* Eddie C. Sturgeon
* Edward P. Allard III
* Esteban Hernandez
* Evan P. Kirvin
* Frederic L. Link
* Garry G. Haehnle
* Harry M. Elias
* Howard H. Shore
* Jeffrey B. Barton
* Jeffrey S. Bostwick
* John S. Meyer
* Judith F. Hayes
* Kathleen M. Lewis
* Laura H. Parsky
* Laura J. Birkmeyer
* Laura W. Halgren
* Louis R. Hanoian
* Margie G. Woods
* Marshall Y. Hockett
* Michael D. Washington
* Michael T. Smyth
* Patricia Guerrero
* Paula S. Rosenstein
* Peter L. Gallagher
* Richard E. L. Strauss
* Richard S. Whitney
* Robert J. Trentacosta
* Ronald L. Styn
* Timothy M. Casserly
* Timothy R. Walsh
* William R. Nevitt, Jr.

San Francisco County Superior Court

* A. James Robertson II
* Anne-Christine Massullo
* Braden C. Woods
* Brendan P. Conroy
* Charlene P. Kiesselbach
* Charles F. Haines
* Charlotte Walter Woolard
* Ethan P. Schulman
* Gail Dekreon
* Garrett L. Wong
* Gerardo C. Sandoval
* Harold E. Kahn
* Harry M. Dorfman
* James J. McBride
* John E. Munter
* John Kennedy Stewart
* Julie M. Tang
* Ksenia Tsenin
* Loretta M. Giorgi
* Mary E. Wiss
* Nancy L. Davis
* Peter J. Busch
* Rochelle C. East
* Tracie L. Brown

San Joaquin County Superior Court

* Michael J. Mulvihill, Jr.

San Luis Obispo County Superior Court

* Ginger E. Garrett
* Jac A. Crawford
* John A. Trice
* Martin J. Tangeman
* Rita Coyne Federman

San Mateo County Superior Court

* Don R. Franchi
* Elizabeth M. Hill
* Jonathan E. Karesh
* Joseph E. Bergeron
* Richard H. DuBois
* Steven L. Dylina

Santa Barbara County Superior Court

* Brian Hill
* Frank J. Ochoa
* Jed Beebe
* John F. McGregor
* Thomas R. Adams

Santa Clara County Superior Court

* Allison M. Danner
* Arthur Bocanegra
* Brian Walsh
* Carol W. Overton
* David A. Cena
* Edward Frederick Lee
* Erica R. Yew
* Hector E. Ramon
* Helen E. Williams
* James E. Towery
* Joseph Huber
* Katherine Lucero
* Kenneth Paul Barnum
* Kurt E. Kumli
* Mary Ann Grilli
* Mary Arand
* Mary J. Greenwood
* My-Le Jacqueline Duong
* Peter H. Kirwan
* Raymond J. Davilla, Jr.
* Richard J. Loftus, Jr.
* Ron M. Del Pozzo
* Sharon A. Chatman
* Shawna M. Schwarz
* Shelyna V. Brown
* Stephen V. Manley

Santa Cruz County Superior Court

* Ariadne J. Symons
* Denine J. Guy
* Heather D. Morse
* John Steven Salazar
* Paul M. Marigonda
* Paul P. Burdick
* Stephen S. Siegel

Shasta County Superior Court

* Bradley L. Boeckman
* Daniel E. Flynn
* Gary G. Gibson
* Monica Marlow
* William D. Gallagher

Siskiyou County Superior Court

* Karen L. Dixon

Solano County Superior Court

* Christine A. Carringer
* Garry T. Ichikawa
* Paul Lloyd Beeman
* Ramona Joyce Garrett
* Wendy Getty

Stanislaus County Superior Court

* Linda A. McFadden
* Marie Sovey Silveira
* Nancy Ashley
* Robert B. Westbrook
* Roger M. Beauchesne
* Scott T. Steffen
* Thomas D. Zeff
* Timothy W. Salter
* William A. Mayhew

Tuolumne County Superior Court

* James A. Boscoe
* Kate P. Segerstrom

Ventura County Superior Court

* Donald D. Coleman
* Frederick H. Bysshe, Jr.
* Gilbert A. Romero
* Jeffrey G. Bennett
* Kent M. Kellegrew
* Matthew P. Guasco
* Michael Lief
* Patricia M. Murphy
* Rebecca S. Riley
* Tari L. Cody
* Vincent J. O'Neill, Jr.

Yolo County Superior Court

* Steven M. Basha
* Timothy L. Fall

Yuba County Superior Court

* Kathleen R. O'Connor

## Primary[edit]

For candidate lists and results from the judicial primary on June 3, 2014, please see: California judicial primary elections, 2014.

## Process[edit]

### Retention[edit]

Justices of the California Supreme Court and California Courts of Appeal must run for retention in the first gubernatorial election after they are appointed and then every 12 years, when their terms expire, in November. In these elections, justices do not compete against another candidate. Instead, voters are given a "yes" or "no" choice as to whether to keep the justice in office for another term. The justice must receive a majority of "yes" votes to remain in office. If a justice is not retained, the governor appoints a replacement who must run for retention in the next gubernatorial election following their appointment.[7][2]

Justices are typically retained. Since the state started its system of retention elections in 1934, the only year that any supreme court justice was not retained was 1986. That year, three justices were ousted from the bench due to ruling against the death penalty.[8][9] In 2010, all of the justices who faced retention were retained. Supreme court justices were retained by an average of 66.8% of votes, while justices of the intermediate appellate courts were retained by an average of 71.0% of the votes.

See: California judicial elections for more details.

### Nonpartisan elections[edit]

Superior court judges run in nonpartisan elections and participate in primaries. They must run for re-election every six years, if they wish to continue serving on the court. (Appointed judges are required to run once the term they were appointed to fill expires.)

When running for re-election, a sitting judge may face one or more opponents. Write-in candidates may also file to run against an incumbent within 10 days after the filing deadline passes, if they are able to secure enough signatures, generally between 100 and 600, depending on the number of registered voters in the county. In both cases, the incumbent's name appears on the general election ballot along with an option to vote for a write-in candidate.[6] If one candidate receives over 50% of the votes in the primary, he or she wins the seat without having to run in the general election. If no candidate receives over 50% of the primary votes, the top two vote-getters, for a single seat in the primary, advance to the general election.[10]

If a superior court judge runs unopposed for re-election, his or her name does not appear on the ballot in either the primary or general election, and the judge is automatically re-elected following the general election.[6]

## Fees[edit]

The fees for filing declarations of candidacy, as of 2014:

* Supreme court justices: $4,425.84 (two percent of salary)
* Judges of the courts of appeal: $2,074.63 (one percent of salary)
* Superior court judges: $1,812.92 (one percent of salary)[11][12][13]

In lieu of paying this filing fee, candidates may submit signatures. The number of signatures that must be submitted vary by court and county.

* Justices of the supreme court must submit 10,000 signatures.
* Judges of the courts of appeal must submit 8,299 signatures.
* The number of signatures required for candidates for the superior courts is 7,252 (four signatures for every dollar of the filing fee) or 10-20 percent of the total registered voters in the county--whichever is less. The 10 percent applies to counties with more than 2,000 registered voters, while the 20 percent applies to counties with fewer than 2,000 registered voters.[11]

## Noteworthy events[edit]

The following articles were current as of the dates listed.

### Races open for California judiciary seats

October 16, 2014| Click for story→

|

See: JP Election Brief: Gold Rush! Racing to the California judiciary

### Recount expected in LA County Superior Court race

June 5, 2014| Click for story→

|

Deputy district attorney Carol Najera defeated incumbent James B. Pierce by a fraction of a percent in the primary for the Los Angeles County Superior Court.[14]

When the polls closed on June 3, Najera had 50.39 percent of the vote, compared to Pierce's 49.61 percent. It was a difference of 3,601 votes, which was less than one percent of the total votes cast.[15] Though some states default to an automatic recount in races this narrow, California election law does not provide for this. However, the political blog Los Angeles Dragnet stated "[e]xpect a recount in this race" anyway.[14] [16]

Najera was not the only deputy district attorney to win a superior court judgeship in Los Angeles County this election season. Other DA’s who won in the primary included: Amy Carter (Office No. 22), Andrew Cooper (Office No. 157), Donna Hollingsworth Armstrong (Office No. 138) and Stacy Wiese (Office No. 107).[14]

### Five candidates run in Nevada County race

May 29, 2014| Click for story→

|

See also: JP Election Brief: Primary season in high gear--what you may have missed and upcoming races to watch

Five candidates are running for a seat on the Nevada County Superior Court. It was one of the state's most-populated judicial contests in 2014, tied with a race for the Fresno County Superior Court.[17]

The retirement of Sean P. Dowling, offered an opportunity for those who were interested to run for the seat.[17][17]

Angela L. Bradrick is a research attorney for the court, a position she’s held since 2010. Before that she was a research attorney for the Placer County Superior Court. Bradick has also served as a judge pro tem, sitting in family court, family support, civil, probate, small claims and traffic courts. She earned her J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 1999.[18]

For seven years, Anna Ferguson served an assistant district attorney in the Nevada County District Attorney’s Office. She’s also worked as a civil attorney at an insurance defense firm, a deputy public defender, a deputy district attorney in Kings County and a special assistant inspector general for the Inspector General’s Office of the State of California. During her 20-year career, which has taken her to several different parts of the state, Ferguson has tried over 100 jury trials. She earned her J.D. from Pepperdine University, School of Law.[18]

Jeff Ingram filed to run for the seat just a few minutes before the filing deadline. He also decided not to seek contributions to fund his election campaign.Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; invalid names, e.g. too many Ingram has a private law practice in Penn Valley and specializes in employment law and civil litigation. He has been a lawyer in Nevada County for 26 years.[18]

Ingram ran for Nevada County supervisor in 1998 against incumbent Rene Antonson. After the primary, Ingram and a write-in candidate competed in the general election, with the write-in candidate winning by less than 200 votes. Ingram served for four years on the Nevada County Airport Commission. He also served for four years on the board of directors for the Penn Valley Fire Protection District.[18]

Jeffrey A. Lake represented a group who tried to prevent the county's medical marijuana cultivation ordinance from being passed. A campaign mailer carried the tagline: "Cultivate your rights. Vote Lake for Superior Court judge."Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; invalid names, e.g. too many He has his own law firm which he started in 2001. His main law practice is based in San Diego, although he lives in Nevada City. During the 23 years he has practiced law, Lake has represented clients in a variety of civil cases involving: product liability and other tort actions, construction defect cases, real property and business transactions transactions as well as contract disputes. He serves as a director and member of several nonprofit organizations which are located in the San Diego area. Lake earned his J.D. from the California Western School of Law in 1991.[18]

Robert Tice-Raskin, the winner in the race, served as a federal prosecutor, at the trial and appellate court levels. He served as the chief of the white collar crime unit for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento, California. From 2007 until he assumed the bench after the 2014 election win, Tice-Raskin served as a judge pro tem in superior courts in Nevada County, Placer County and Sacramento County. As a judge pro tem, he heard small claims cases, contract and tort matters. Between 1990 and 1994, he was an attorney with the law firm of Irell & Manella and worked as a law clerk for former federal judge J. Lawrence Irving. Tice-Raskin has a manager for his campaign and has obtained the most endorsements of any candidate. He earned his J.D. from Harvard in 1989.[18]

### California candidate speaks against removal of her billboards

May 15, 2014| Click for story→

|

See also: JP Election Brief: Candidate attacks

Carla Keehn ran against incumbent Lisa Schall for election to the San Diego County Superior Court. The federal prosecutor paid $14,000 to place ads on billboards owned by Clear Channel for 30 days, in advance of the election. According to an article on the website for public broadcasting station KPBS, the billboards said:

| “  | Vote for Carla Keehn...The only candidate for this office not convicted of a crime. Because no one is above the law, not even judges.[19] | ”

|
|

—Carla Keehn campaign[20]

The language in Keehn's ad referenced Schall's October 2007 DUI charge. Schall later entered a plea to a lesser charge of reckless driving. The California Commission on Judicial Performance publicly admonished Schall following her plea. The commission previously issued private admonishments of Schall for her behavior on the bench in 1995 and 1999.[21] Despite these past issues, for the 2014 judicial elections, the San Diego County Bar Association rated Schall as "well-qualified." Keehn was rated as "qualified."[22]

An article in the San Diego Free Press, indicated Keehn’s campaign reserved the billboards five months ago. An April 21 e-mail from an account executive at Clear Channel suggested changes for the billboard ad to emphasize the fact that Keehn was "the only candidate not convicted of a crime."[23] The ads were displayed on billboards beginning on May 7, but by May 9 they had been removed.

On the morning of May 9, Keehn’s campaign reported receiving an e-mail from Clear Channel with photos which commented positively on the billboards. However, later in the day the company e-mailed the campaign again, indicating "we have a problem."[23] The company initially said the billboards would remain up through the weekend, but then said they would be taken down "ASAP."[23] In an e-mail response to the Free Press the following week, Clear Channel indicated Keehn’s ads were taken down because they did not follow the company’s protocol for political ads.[23]

Keehn stated she felt the removal of the billboards was a violation of her right to free speech. However, she also stated she'd continue to "challenge Schall to stand up for what’s right."[20]

Schall did not offer a comment on the matter.[20]

### Superior court seat open in Fresno County

April 10, 2014| Click for story→

|

See also: JP Election Brief: The "E" word in judicial elections: Ethics

Robert H. Oliver served as a judge on the Superior Court of Fresno County from 1998 until his retirement in January 2015. The January opening on the court attracted five candidates.[24]

Judge Brad Hill of the California Fifth District Court of Appeal said:

| “  | It has never been just a job to [Judge Oliver]. Being a judge is something he feels privileged to do and he feels every case means the world to the folks in the courtroom so he makes sure to do everything he can to ensure justice is served.[19] | ”

|
|

—Judge Brad Hill[24]
Oliver also was the recipient of various awards, including the Foundation Service Award in 2010, which is awarded by The California State University, Fresno Foundation. According to the Fresno State News, this award is given to those who "have achieved a high level of stature in their profession that reflects favorably upon the Fresno community and to those who have demonstrated significant leadership in the goals of the university."[25]

The five candidates for the position were Phillip Jarrett Cline, Lisa M. Gamoian, Rachel Hill, Steven D. Smith, and Charles F. Magill. Cline worked as a police officer and prosecutor.[26] Gamoian, who ultimately won the election, served as the chief of homicide at the Fresno County District Attorney's Office.[27] Hill is an attorney and professor at San Joaquin College of Law.[28] Smith has been an administrative law judge for the past five years.[29] Charles Magill and his wife co-founded Magill & Guzman Magill in 2002.[30]

### Meet the Yolo County Superior Court candidates

April 10, 2014| Click for story→

|

See also: JP Election Brief: The "E" word in judicial elections: Ethics

Four candidatesran for the Department 3 seat on the Yolo County Superior Court in June, the only contested race in the county in 2014. The four candidates vied to replace Judge Stephen L. Mock, who retired in January 2015. The Daily Democrat recently provided background information on each of the candidates. Snapshots of each person are provided below.[31][32]

Janene Beronio:
Beronio, before winning the 2014 election, served as a commissioner on the superior court. She stated, "I know this court system better than almost anybody that is still around."[31]

She was the court's first commissioner and served in that role from 1989 until her election to the court in 2014. Prior to that, she was a deputy district attorney in Yolo County. Beronio said that good judges should be compassionate, explaining, "You can give a defendant a tough sentence, but if you do it with compassion, then they understand that."[31] Beronio has the support of the outgoing judge.

John P. Brennan:
Brennan has been practicing law since 1994. He spent ten years as a deputy district attorney, working with the domestic violence unit and the gang and hate crime unit. He then opened his own law practice. He said his experience gives him a "unique perspective to be the most effective judge for Yolo County."[31]

Fredrick Cohen:
Cohen has a background in family law. The Sacramento-based attorney and family law specialist has practiced law since 1989. Regarding the nature of that practice, he said, "You need to be able to handle the emotional atmosphere and the intellectual challenges that come with family law."[32] He also said that family law may help prevent future crimes.

Larenda Delaini:

Delaini works as a deputy attorney general and is a native of West Sacramento. Regarding her decision to run for the judgeship, she said: "I've always just wanted to serve the community and help people."[32] Her primary focus is criminal law. She became a deputy attorney general in 2008 and previously served as a deputy district attorney. She also teaches as an adjunct professor at Sacramento City College.

### Incumbent not endorsed by Santa Clara County Bar Association

March 27, 2014| Click for story→

|

See also: JP Election Brief: Women successful in judicial races as incumbents face challengers

Judge Diane Ritchie faced election competition for her seat on the Superior Court of Santa Clara County in 2014. The Santa Clara County Bar Association announced on March 24 their endorsement for one of her challengers, Matt Harris. This was the result of an internal poll by the association in which attorneys were asked to rate the judicial candidates up for office this year.[33]

172 attorneys voted Harris as qualified for the judgeship. Candidate Annrae Angel was voted qualified by 95 attorneys, while Judge Ritchie had 76 votes in her favor.[34] The full results of the poll are below:

| Name| Qualified| Not Qualified| Abstain

|
|
|

Matt Harris| 172| 18| 109
Annrae Angel| 95| 32| 166
Hon. Diane Ritchie| 76| 159| 69

Harris, before winning the 2014 election, served as a deputy district attorney. Angel at the time of the election worked as a defense attorney in private practice.[34] They are the first candidates since 1998 to challenge a sitting judge in Santa Clara County. That year, the incumbent won.[33]

Judge Ritchie received mixed reviews in the Santa Clara County Bar Association's 2011 judicial survey. She was rated highly in categories like integrity, work ethic and judicial temperament but received lower marks for knowledge of the law and dispute resolution.[35]

## See also[edit]

* California judicial elections
* Judicial selection in California

## External links[edit]

* California Secretary of State, "Elections," accessed April 22, 2014
* Los Angeles Times, "Safeguarding California's judicial election process," August 21, 2011
* California Courts, "How Appellate Court Justices are Selected," accessed April 22, 2014

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Key Dates and Deadlines," 2014
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `appellate`
3. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "California Supreme Court headed for change," April 4, 2014
4. ↑ Stanford Law School, "Justice Goodwin Liu," accessed April 22, 2014
5. ↑ California Secretary of State Voter Guide, "Justices of the Supreme Court," accessed August 26, 2014
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 California Elections Code, "Section 8203," accessed April 22, 2014
7. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Justices of the Supreme Court," accessed June 1, 2014
8. ↑ Santa Clara Law Review (Volume 28, No. 2), "California Judicial Retention Elections," by Gerald F. Uelmen, 1988
9. ↑ American Judicature Society, "Judicial Selection in the States: California", archived October 2, 2014
10. ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 8140-8150," accessed April 22, 2014
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 California Elections Code, "Section 8100-8107," accessed April 22, 2014
12. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Section 3: Candidate Filing Information for the 2014 primary election," accessed April 22, 2014
13. ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Judicial Salary Tracker," accessed April 21, 2014
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Los Angeles Dragnet, "Historic Victories in Primary Election," June 4, 2014
15. ↑ Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/Clerk, "Superior Court Primary Election Results," June 4, 2014
16. ↑ Commission on Government Reform – U.S. House of Representatives, "Summaries of State Election Procedures," November 2002
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Tahoe Daily Tribune, "Election 2014: Nevada County Judicial candidates face crowded field, May 23, 2014
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 Tahoe Daily Tribune, "Election 2014: 5 vie for Nevada Co. Superior Court Judge Seat 1," May 23, 2014
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 KPBS, "San Diego Judicial Candidate Says Rights Violated When Billboards Removed," May 13, 2014
21. ↑ Metropolitan News-Enterprise, "San Diego judge publicly censured over 'wet-reckless' plea," September 17, 2008, accessed February 27, 2014
22. ↑ San Diego County Bar Association, "2014 San Diego Judge Elections: Judicial Candidate Ratings," accessed May 14, 2014
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 San Diego Free Press, "Clear Channel Responds to Political Pressure, Quashes Billboard Ads for Judicial Candidate," May 12, 2014
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 The Fresno Bee, "Fresno County Judge Robert Oliver retiring next year," January 27, 2014
25. ↑ Fresno State News, "Robert H. Oliver is Fresno State Foundation Service Award recipient," April 22, 2010
26. ↑ Cline for Judge, "Positions," accessed June 1, 2014
27. ↑ Lisa Gamoian for judge 2014, "About Lisa," accessed June 1, 2014
28. ↑ Hill 4 Judge, "About," accessed June 1, 2014
29. ↑ Elect Steven Smith for Judge, "Home," accessed June 1, 2014
30. ↑ Charles Magill judge, "Biography of Charles Magill," accessed June 1, 2014
31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 Daily Democrat, "Yolo judicial candidates have wide range of experience," April 6, 2014 (Part 1)
32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 Daily Democrat, "Yolo judicial candidates have wide range of experience," April 6, 2014 (Part 2)
33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 San Jose Mercury News, "Bar association gives judge cold shoulder," March 25, 2014
34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Santa Clara County Bar Association, "Santa Clara County Bar Association Endorses Dennis Lempert and Matt Harris in Contested Superior Court Seats," March 24, 2014
35. ↑ Santa Clara County Bar Association, "Judicial Survey Results - Diane Ritchie," 2011

v • e

Judicial elections, 2014

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Florida • Georgia • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

California courts

* * *

Federal courts:

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California

State courts:

California Supreme Court • California Courts of Appeal • California Superior Courts

State resources:

Courts in California • California judicial elections • Judicial selection in California