Judge Daniel Dutcher Merits Reelection : He Is Highly Regarded and Best Qualified for Place on Westminster Municipal Court

Voters in West Orange County concerned about crime in their community, and intent on electing no-nonsense judges, will have an easy task on Nov. 8. All they have to do is reelect Judge Daniel C. Dutcher to the Westminster Municipal Court bench.

When all the election campaign rhetoric is set aside, the question gets down to who is best qualified. In this election, the answer to that question is clearly Dutcher.

He is a jurist of proven ability who has 12 years of experience and independence in serving the west court, which includes the communities of Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, Westminster, Cypress, Seal Beach and Stanton.

Dutcher was elected, not appointed, as a judge in 1982. He now sits as presiding judge of the Westminster court. He was elected to that post not once, but twice by the other judges in the court, who would not idly entrust anyone without the requisite ability and demeanor to such a responsible leadership role.

But it is not only the judges who hold Dutcher in high regard.

In a judicial evaluation poll of members of the Orange County Bar Assn. last spring, Dutcher received a much higher “qualified” rating than two challengers, and he clearly has more proven court ability in both criminal and civil law than his runoff opponent.

Judges and attorneys, however, are not the only ones convinced that Dutcher is the kind of judge who should not be lost to the justice system. He has strong support from police and public officials as well.

Incumbents don’t automatically deserve reelection. If a challenger has the potential to better serve the public, that person deserves a chance. But that is not the case here. Dutcher is undoubtedly the best qualified and deserving of another term. He is fair, knows the law, and can make a decision, even an unpopular one that he knows is right.

A judge is not there to only mete out justice, but to also ensure that there is no injustice. Dutcher has demonstrated that he is such a jurist, and we urge his reelection.