Information on Judges

Your Jan. 3 editorial recognizes that voters should receive relevant information about the qualifications of appellate justices who seek retention in office. The editorial raises a concern that pending legislation-- AB 1936 --would reduce information that voters receive. We write to ensure that the record is complete regarding the intent of the bill.

AB 1936 would delete any ballot reference to the length of an appellate justice’s additional term of office. Although the term length is determined by the Constitution and does not bear upon qualifications for judicial office, AB 1936 would place information on term length in an accompanying pamphlet provided to voters.

The term length does not appear on the ballot for any other elected public official. As the editorial recognizes, prior to the 1994 election, the term length did not appear on the ballot in judicial retention elections.

The California Judges Assn. and the Judicial Council of California share your view that it is insufficient merely to restore the previous ballot practice and that voters are entitled to more information, rather than less, about an appellate justice’s educational background and professional experience. In our view, it is those factors that bear directly on qualifications for judicial office. To that end, our organizations have proposed that the voter pamphlet provided by AB 1936 furnish information about the qualifications of justices seeking retention to office. Under our proposal, the voter pamphlet would include nonpartisan information, not exceeding 200 words, regarding a justice’s undergraduate and legal education, the nature and extent of the justice’s law practice, the judicial positions the justice has held and the justice’s years of judicial service.

We hope that these proposals will provide the electorate with valuable information bearing on an appellate justice’s qualifications.

JAMES A. ARDAIZ, Presiding Justice

Judicial Council of California

JUDGE PAUL BOLAND, President

California Judges Assn., San Francisco