Judicial Candidates Judged by Attorneys

A majority of local attorneys rated the slate of candidates in Tuesday’s judicial contests as qualified, although many lawyers said they did not know much about several judicial hopefuls vying for the four seats, according to a recent Orange County Bar Assn. poll.

“The general public has an extremely limited amount of information available to it upon which to base a decision on who to vote for [in] a judgeship,” said Donald S. Gray, chairman of the association’s judiciary committee. “This survey is an effort by the Orange County Bar Assn. to provide the general public with some information.”

Voters countywide will be choosing from nine candidates to fill the seats of three Superior Court judges who are retiring. In south Orange County, voters also will be choosing from six candidates to fill a Municipal Court seat also left vacant because of a retirement.

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About 475 members of the bar association participated in the poll, evaluating judicial candidates on experience, fairness, legal knowledge, diligence, temperament and overall qualifications. They were rated on a scale from “exceptionally” qualified to “not qualified.”

In the race for the first Superior Court seat, Central Municipal Court Judge Barbara Schumann received the highest number of top marks, especially for experience and fairness.

Her opponent, Daniel Charles Dutcher, a former West Municipal Court judge who lost the seat in a bitterly contested 1994 race, received high marks for experience and fairness but lower marks for diligence.

Most attorneys said they didn’t have enough information to evaluate the third candidate, William McNames, a Superior Court research attorney. Those who did evaluate McNames gave him more positive than negative ratings, except for experience.

In the second Superior Court race, West Municipal Court Commissioner Clancy Haynes received the highest number of top ratings, especially for fairness and temperament.

Central Municipal Court Judge Jim Brooks was well known among the attorneys, receiving his best marks for experience.

Many respondents said they did not know enough to evaluate Nancy A. Pollard, an attorney and longtime Coast Community College trustee, although those who did rate her cast a high percentage of positive marks.

In the third Superior Court race, North Municipal Court Judge Carla M. Singer received the highest percentage of top marks, especially for diligence.

Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Tom Dunn was close behind, with highest marks in the areas of legal knowledge and temperament.

Central Municipal Court Judge Richard W. Stanford Jr. received strong marks for experience and diligence but lower numbers for fairness and temperament.

In the South County Municipal Court race, private attorney Max De Liema was well known among attorneys, receiving the highest percentage of top ratings, particularly for legal knowledge and temperament.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Carl Biggs also scored high marks, especially for experience.

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Many attorneys said they did not have enough knowledge to evaluate South Municipal Court Commissioner Lyle J. Robertson and private attorneys Paul J. Nestor and Steve Corris, although those who did rate the candidates gave them more positive than negative marks.

The fewest number of attorneys said they had enough information to rate corporate attorney Thomas R. Roll, with about two dozen respondents giving him more positive than negative ratings, except for experience.