Candidate for
Superior Court Judge; County of Alameda; Seat 9

Priorities for Office

I have three major priorities.

First and foremost, the judge must preside over her court with fairness, applying the law without fear or favor, and treating each person with dignity and respect.

Second, as an administrative law judge I have become very sensitive to the problems with providing transparency to our decision making processes and to making our processes accessible to ordinary people who do not have attorneys representing them in complex proceedings.

Earlier this year amendments to the Canons of Judicial Ethics took effect to allow judges greater latitude in assisting unrepresented persons in hearings. This is a good first step, but I believe that more is required. For most people, courts are nerve-wracking places even when represented by counsel (or even as a juror). For the unrepresented party, the process can be overwhelming. For people whose primary language is not English, or who have communications problems caused by disability, full participation may be require additional efforts on the part of the court. My goal as an administrative law judge has been to make the process balanced, so that everyone can be heard. I think that should be a priority for all judges.

Third, I believe that judges have an obligation to promote meaningful changes in the legal justice system. Too often, judges have avoided this obligation out of caution to avoid entering into political discussions. However, it is essential that judicial officers use their expertise, knowledge and standing in the community to promote reforms.