Candidate for
Superior Court Judge; County of Monterey; Seat 2

An Introduction

At 43 years old, Todd is a career prosecutor who has dedicated 17 years to serving the communities where he has lived as a courtroom advocate and legal instructor. He is the only candidate who has ever practiced law in Monterey County. He has been a lawyer since 1990 (in Florida) and passed the California Bar in 1994.

Education

University of Florida, College of Law, Gainesville, FL. J.D. awarded December 1990; Dean's List five out of seven semesters

Rijksuniversiteit Leiden, Leiden, Netherlands, Spring 1990

George Washington University, Washington, D.C. B.A. International Politics/Economics, cum laude, May 1987

City of London Polytechnic, London, U.K., Spring 1986

Legal Career

Todd began with commitment to courtroom practice through two internships during law school. 1) Clerk for a Federal Judge in Miami. 2) Intern, Miami State Attorney's Office.

Monroe County State Attorney's Office in Key West

Todd began his professional career as a prosecutor in Florida in 1991 with the Monroe County State Attorney's Office in Key West. In two years as a prosecutor in Florida Todd rose from a misdemeanor assignment to being a part of a senior felony prosecution team. Along the way, he handled the domestic violence calendar and an assignment to the juvenile division. He worked closely with the local courts and fashioned a special court for college offenders who committed minor offenses after traveling to the Florida Keys during Spring Break.

Monterey County Prosecutor in Salinas, Monterey, King City

In June of 1994, with his second bar card in hand, Todd was very fortunate to find employment with the Monterey County District Attorney's Office. Todd was promoted to the highest attorney classification level in the office within two years. Since then Todd has been assigned to a variety of special assignments including:

King City/South County Office Prison Prosecution Unit Adult Sexual Violence Juvenile Division Narcotics Enforcement (includes Prop36/Drug Treatment Court Steering Comm.) Major/general felony prosecutor in the Salinas Courthouse.

Todd has shown great skill in managing extremely large numbers of cases through the years and has worked closely with the courts and the defense bar to improve procedures and recognize operational efficiencies to better serve the public at large. Todd handled well over 1,000 cases per year during his assignment to the Narcotics Division from 2002-2006. He has been a member of the Proposition 36/Drug Treatment Court Steering Committee since its re-institution in 2007.

Throughout his career, Todd has handled every type of criminal case, from first degree murder to minor traffic infractions. Todd understands that the role of an advocate on behalf of the People of the State of California and a representative of the People of this community requires him to balance often competing interests. Todd has excelled in the delicate balancing of interest that is required of all prosecutors to reach fair and just resolutions of cases. These negotiations require sincerity and respect, the ability to think quickly and a deep and thorough knowledge of the law. Todd has all of these skills, and more. To back up his negotiation skills, Todd has continually honed his litigation skills in trial situations.

Todd has tried over one hundred jury trials, dozens and dozens of bench trials and conducted innumerable adversarial evidentiary hearings on behalf of the People of Monterey County. He is a formidable and successful litigator with an understanding of courtroom procedure that comes from his daily courtroom appearances.

Judicial Training Specialist in Moscow, Russia

In 1996 Todd took time away from the Monterey District Attorney's office to work as a Judicial Training Specialist in Moscow, Russia with the American Bar Association's Central and East European Law Initiative and the United States Department of Justice. During the spring of 1996, Todd traveled with his wife throughout the former Soviet Union organizing and speaking at seminars directed at the emerging independent Russian Federal Judiciary. These seminars brought Russian federal judges into direct contact with American federal judges and legal practitioners to expose them to the successes and procedures implemented in a free society in order to assist them in forming their own fair and independent legal system.

Legal Instructor

Todd is a seasoned advocate and is passionate in his approach to the law. This passion has animated his parallel dedication for teaching. From his first position as a prosecutor in Florida, Todd has taught the law in a variety of settings. Law enforcement cadets in two states have learned how to become good officers and appreciate the importance of the laws of their state and this nation. Todd had always tried to instill a sense of awe and respect for the law in those have attended his classes, including those that he has taught at:

Hartnell College in Salinas, Todd taught criminal law and evidence courses in 1998.

Mott Training Center in Pacific Grove, teaching law and procedure for the California Department of Parks and Recreation since 2000. Todd helps cadets learn what they need to know to become peace officer Rangers and Lifeguards around the state. Todd has trained over one half of the current Rangers and Lifeguards in California.

Todd also taught hundreds of police cadets at the Monterey Peninsula College law enforcement academy where many fine local law enforcement officers have trained to serve our community.

Todd has taught Advanced Officer Training courses with Monterey County Sherriff's Office, Salinas Police Department, CSUMB, California Highway Patrol.

In 2007, Todd was honored to become a part of the community of instructors who teach on behalf of the California District Attorney's Association. His recent lecture on search warrants in March of 2008 was his fourth presentation to that organization.

Todd is a legal instructor for the Monterey Peninsula Fire Academy where he teaches courtroom testimony to firefighters at advanced arson investigator courses.

Charitable Foundation Work

Outside the area of the law Todd acts as a Regional Director and Vice President of the Ross Foundation. Since 1999 he has participated in the stewardship of that organization in its efforts to fund projects around the nation. The foundation is primarily focused on religious and cultural projects but, at Todd's direction, it has also funded environmental restoration projects and recently funded a major trip for local youth to Uganda to assist in the physical and psychological recovery of child soldiers from the cruel wars in that region of the world.

Todd's responsibilities include reviewing and overseeing grant requests, monitoring the financial well being of the organization and providing legal advice. Todd's leadership on the foundation has helped to put it on a sustainable course for its long term survival so that it can continue to fund a variety of projects and accomplish its goals for generations to come.

Family and Home Life

During a May 1993 vacation, while riding his motorcycle solo around the country, he met and proposed to his wife of 14 years, Donna Shore. Donna lived in Los Angeles at the time and Todd soon moved out west and took the California Bar.

In 1999, Todd and Donna were blessed with the birth of their first son, Terak. In 2003 they were yet again blessed, this time by the arrival of their second son, Elan. Terak is in 4th grade and Elan is in kindergarten at the Carmel River School.

Todd is a member of the Carmel Resident Association, the Monterey County Bar Association, and the Monterey County Prosecutor's Association. He is also a volunteer/instructor for the Carmel Area Red Cross. Todd and his family are active members of Congregation Beth Israel in Carmel Valley.

Todd was born in Miami Beach, Florida to Linda and Peter. He has two siblings, Robin and Steven who are twins and four years older. Both Robin and Steven hold PhD's, are married with wonderful families, and are college professors in their hometowns of St. Paul, MN and Orlando, FL. Todd's parents still reside in the family home in Miami where they all grew up.

Todd is a guitar player and a swimmer. He is fascinated by astronomy and cosmology and struggles mightily to understand the complex physics that attempts to explain it all. Todd is an avid, but not fanatical, crossword puzzler and routinely surprises himself by completing the Sunday New York Times puzzle. On most Friday nights between April and October he can be found on the beach around a bonfire surrounded by children and families. He enjoys gardening and woodworking (both with only a moderate amount of success). Todd enjoys hiking with his family in the beautiful area where has been fortunate enough settle. He is also a relatively good cook.