They’re Making a Good Case for a Lunchtime Run in Santa Ana

At noontime every workday in the courthouse in Santa Ana, employees step out of judicial robes, rip off neckties and starched white shirts and prepare for what is as much a tradition as is the swearing-in of witnesses: the lunch-hour run.

Prosecutors, criminal-defense attorneys, judges and staffers stream out of the Orange County courthouse and spill into the surrounding streets, trading legal research and courtroom tension for jacaranda trees, rose gardens and Tudor, Spanish and Craftsman-style houses.

The Floral Park neighborhood, north of the courthouse, is lined with mature palm trees, sprawling yards and expensive homes. Floral Park -- which some people refer to as the Beverly Hills of Santa Ana -- happens to be a wonderful place to run.

In addition to the pleasant view and abundant shade trees, there are few traffic lights and cars, giving runners an opportunity to maintain a steady pace just a few blocks from the city’s busy Civic Center. Flower Street, for instance, runs 1 1/4 miles north from 17th Street without a traffic light before winding into a cul-de-sac.

The lunchtime athletes say their regimen provides a refreshing break and an opportunity to get their daily exercise without interrupting family time in the evening.

In the locker room, there’s not much discussion about cases. The employees leave that in the courthouse, said Superior Court Judge Gary S. Paer.

“Since everyone knows there’s a big mixture of people down there, no one openly talks about cases,” the judge said. “Everyone talks about the weather, how far you’re going, non-work-related issues [such as] the Lakers.”

About 900 employees work in the courthouse. With access to locker rooms in the basement, a lunchtime run is convenient. Among the regulars is Paer, who hits the road Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays while preparing for his sixth New York Marathon in November.

His best time: 3 hours, 32 minutes, in 1983.

“I just love the fresh air, the neighborhood, the big trees and big frontyards. It reminds me of back East,” said Paer, who grew up in New York City and New Jersey. “All the houses are different. It’s very pleasant. I run on different streets on different days.”

Paer, 46, said running gives him a nice break from his daily felony caseload. The court’s 90-minute lunch hour gives him enough time to shower and eat a salad and fruit in his chambers before the afternoon session.

Sheriff’s Deputy Roger Hilton, who provides security in the courtroom of Judge Kazuharu Makino, said he has another motivation to join his colleagues on the streets of north Santa Ana.

“If I wait till I get home, I won’t run,” said Hilton, 39. “And it breaks up the day. It’s tiring while you do it, but when you get back [to the courthouse] you feel really good that you did it.”

Paer said he’s never had a problem with criminal defendants or anyone else bumping into him during a run. He said he doubts anyone would recognize him in his shorts, tank top and headphones.

“I’ve never been accosted or confronted. Think about it: I’m moving, and I don’t think anyone is going to recognize me. And in Floral Park, that’s all residential,” he said.

The judge does have one informal rule: He won’t run with prosecutors or defense attorneys who are involved in a trial in his courtroom.

“I probably wouldn’t, just to avoid any appearance of a bias,” he said. “If the jurors see me running with a defense attorney or D.A., that could be considered the appearance of a bias. They might think we were talking about the case.”