Carter Issues Statement on His Retirement

Judge Brian R. Carter, upon retirement from Harbor Municipal Court in Orange County, issued the following statement to the press:

I am 63 years old. I have worked hard for more than 40 years and have been amply rewarded. Now there are things that I would rather do than work full time. I am not willing to live in the fish bowl which (the) public now seems to require. Thus, I am leaving judicial office effective next month.

This has been a difficult decision to me. I will not trade my right to privacy for the privilege of continuing to serve my community. There comes a time when a job can become more drudgery than challenge and the prospect of retirement, being able to do what I want on a flexible schedule which I control, becomes very attractive.

My family, my friends, my colleagues and those with whom I have worked over the years on a daily basis, all have expressed their continuing support and appreciation for my performance as an honest, fair, compassionate judge dedicated to protecting the public, maintaining public faith in the justice system, while making certain the taxpayer got his money’s worth. During my years on the bench, I was honored to be elected by my colleagues to serve as the Court’s presiding judge for the year in which we completed and occupied our new courthouse addition.

I am mindful of this support over the years and am grateful for the opportunity to have served my community. But the time has come for me to throttle back and operate at a less hectic and less burdened pace. Retirement sounds very attractive. I’ve been racing at 110% for 45 years and now I want to relax.

Certainly, I’m not ready to come to a complete stop. I will continue to perform some services in the law. But it will be only when the spirit moves me and when I believe I can contribute something. In the immediate future, I am considering something like Amicus Publico, if they can use me, and, with my engineering degree, I may do some consulting in the product liability field.

I hope the Governor will act promptly to appoint a replacement to serve out my term. Preferably, he will select someone who will be sensitive to local needs and who will continue to provide some insulation between the accuser and the accused, while protecting the rights of the victim. I also hope my successor will have the solid background in civil law of particular importance to the Harbor Court caseload. Our Court has a record fast reaction time for getting civil cases to trial. I’m sure our litigants will want a judge who can contribute to the continuing envied efficiency of Harbor Court in Civil as well as in Criminal proceedings.

Quite frankly, everything considered after weighing and evaluating alternatives, remaining on the job doesn’t seem to be worth it. So I leave with no regrets. It has been rewarding.