2 Women Among High Court Candidates

Gov. George Deukmejian submitted the names of four appeal court justices, including two women, today as candidates for a 1989 vacancy on the California Supreme Court.

Following review by a State Bar panel, Deukmejian will name one of the four to succeed Justice John Arguelles, a moderate who will retire March 1.

They are Associate Justices Patricia Benke, 39, of San Diego; Joyce Luther Kennard, 46, of Sherman Oaks; Walter Croskey, 55, of Pacific Palisades, and Fred Marler Jr., 56, of Sacramento.

All four were appointed to the Court of Appeal by Deukmejian in 1987 and 1988. Both women served as deputies under Deukmejian when he was attorney general.

Arguelles, 61, joined the high court in March, 1987, with two other justices to fill vacancies created by the defeat of Chief Justice Rose Bird and Justices Cruz Reynoso and Joseph Grodin in a bitter election battle over the court’s handling of death penalty appeals.

Since the election, the seven-member court has been dominated by Deukmejian’s five conservative appointments.

The State Bar’s Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation has up to 90 days to evaluate the four jurists. Then, Deukmejian will name Arguelles’ successor, who will face a confirmation vote in the 1990 general election.

“I am hopeful the State Bar will complete their evaluations in an expeditious manner, enabling the new nominee to join the court as quickly as possible,” Deukmejian said in a statement.

The governor noted that the four have dissimilar backgrounds, but they “share several common traits: They have extensive experience in the legal profession and have earned the respect of their colleagues.”