Ailing Judge Thomas Plans to File for Reelection

Los Angeles Municipal Judge Maxine Thomas, who has been on a medical leave since November, will file for reelection next month, her lawyer said Friday.

Attorney Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. said Thomas wants to “keep her options open,” although doctors have not yet determined whether her disability is temporary or permanent. He has said she is suffering from emotional stress because of pressures in her personal and professional life.

Thomas, who must file as a candidate by Feb. 10, will face at least one opponent: Los Angeles Municipal Court Commissioner Stephen Leventhal, 48, who presides over Small Claims Court in Encino.

“I am mystified and somewhat astonished at the inconsistency of a judge who is apparently fully disabled at the moment indicating that in a matter of days, she will file for reelection,” Leventhal said Friday.

Asked to respond, Cochran said: “Hope springs eternal. Anybody who’s been disabled would like to make a full recovery, and a lady with the spirit of Judge Thomas would certainly be in that class.”

For Thomas, a reelection battle would be her third contest in two years. She was ousted as presiding judge of the Municipal Court after a June, 1986, recall by her fellow jurists and subsequently lost a bid to win election to Superior Court.

She is currently under investigation by the state Commission on Judicial Performance, which notified her last summer that it planned to formally criticize her for her work schedule, her relationship with her colleagues and her response to the controversies surrounding her performance.

In addition, when Thomas left the bench last fall, there were allegations that she was displaying symptoms of drug abuse. Cochran has repeatedly denied that she has a drug problem.