Judge David Long Elevated to Superior Court Bench

Ventura County Municipal Judge David W. Long was elevated to the Superior Court by Gov. Pete Wilson on Wednesday, continuing a rapid professional rise marked by three judicial promotions over the last five years.

Long, 56, was selected by the governor over his friend and mentor, Municipal Judge John R. Smiley, and prominent civil attorney Glen Reiser, who defends the district attorney’s office and Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury himself in lawsuits.

Those three and Oxnard attorney Henry J. Walsh--all with strong civil experience--were interviewed for the job. Since most local judges are former criminal prosecutors, the Ventura County Bar Assn. lobbied for the appointment of a civil lawyer to replace Judge Charles McGrath, who retired in July.

Counting Long, two of Wilson’s last five appointments to the local bench have gone to civil lawyers, with the other three going to Bradbury assistants.

“The governor’s confident Judge Long will make a very strong contribution to the bench,” said Matt Taggart, a Wilson spokesman. “Other than his experience and obvious legal skills, his recommendations were very strong.”

Taggart noted, in particular, Long’s selection by local lawyers as the Municipal Court’s Trial Judge of the Year in 1996: “That speaks strongly to his skill as a judge.”

A lawyer for only 14 years after a midlife career change, Long will be sworn in to the $107,390-a-year post today by Smiley.

“This has just been a remarkable five-year ride,” said Long, who was appointed a court commissioner by local judges in 1993 and elevated to the Municipal Court by Wilson in 1995.

Bar Assn. officials--along with prosecutors and defense lawyers--praised Long’s appointment, saying he works hard, knows the law and gives all sides a fair day in court.

“He treats every person in front of him with respect, courtesy and an unfailing sense of humor,” said Oxnard attorney David Shain, past president of the local Bar Assn. “He is a rising star and he has risen on merit. I think he is a wonderful choice.”

The new Superior Court judge, a former eight-year U. S. Marine and 17-year insurance claims adjuster, worked exclusively as a civil lawyer after his cum laude graduation from the Ventura College of Law in 1983. But most of his experience as a judge has been on criminal cases, Long said.

“I have a substantial amount of criminal experience,” he said. “Before I was appointed to the civil trials in September 1996, I was doing criminal jury trials, both felony and misdemeanor, including three-strike trials. And before that, I was doing criminal arraignments.”

Not that Long will need that expertise for the foreseeable future. He expects to spend at least the next 14 months with his present assignment on the civil trial bench. Under a consolidation agreement between municipal and superior courts, Long already oversees Superior Court civil trials.

“That’s partly because we recognize his ability as a trial judge,” said Robert Bradley, presiding judge of the Superior Court. “He has great civil credentials. And he’s really brought those to bear in his Superior Court work.

“Reaction to his appointment has been favorable inside the court complex and outside among the attorneys,” Bradley said. “He got rave reviews from the Bar when he went through the judicial selection process.”

Chief Assistant Dist. Atty. Kevin McGee said prosecutors in his office are pleased with the appointment.

“He’s a very personable and pleasant person to appear in front of, and he’s more than willing to hear what we have to say,” McGee said. “And he’s been exposed to criminal cases, so he’s cut his teeth already. Dave is going to do fine.”

Retired Ventura attorney George Eskin, a member of the State Bar of California’s 27-person Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation, said he is delighted with Long’s choice because of his preparation and temperament--but also surprised by it.

“I’m surprised because his name hasn’t been circulated recently by the governor,” Eskin said. “The most recent names we received were John Smiley and Glen Reiser.”

The reason he was not interviewed recently or his credentials evaluated, Long said, is because he applied for both Municipal and Superior Court jobs in 1995 and was reviewed for both.

“So my review for the Superior Court was still timely, so I didn’t have to go out again,” he said.