Commissioner’s Decision on Pier

In the interest of continuing public education regarding our judicial system, I am responding to Michael F. Ford’s letter (Times, Feb. 2) regarding the decision on the Redondo Beach pier.

Every Superior Court judicial officer assigned to similar cases has the assistance of a research attorney, as do the justices of our Courts of Appeal and Supreme Court. These are full-fledged attorneys, admitted to the State Bar of California (and not merely “law clerks”).

In the Redondo Beach pier case however, I did all of the necessary study and research, and the decision is entirely mine. The research attorney did not participate.

As the editor’s note explained, I served as a judge on this case with the consent of all the attorneys. Perhaps they were confident of a fair, responsible and informed decision since I was admitted to the practice of law in 1937 and have been a judicial officer in Torrance for the last 20 years. That is over 50 years of experience.

I am paid 85% of a regular judge’s salary, so I am really a “bargain basement judge.”

You can compute how much the 52 commissioners of the Superior Court save the taxpayers of Los Angeles County.

Does the lower salary mean that commissioners dispense an inferior brand of justice? No!

Commissioners are selected by a vote of almost 250 regular judges of the Superior Court. These judges are, no doubt, more qualified than anyone else to select competent judicial officers without regard to partisan politics.

ABRAHAM GORENFELD

court commissioner

Superior Court, Torrance