Disciplined Judges Get Passing Grades From County Bar

The Los Angeles County Bar Assn. has given passing grades to two incumbent judges who were disciplined last year by the state Commission on Judicial Performance for lapses in conduct.

The bar also found their opponents unqualified for the bench, saying that they lacked experience.

On Monday, the 25,000-member bar released the findings of its Judicial Evaluation Committee after weeks of screening the candidates in nine contested judicial races. The 53-member committee found four challengers not qualified, but all incumbents qualified or well qualified.

“I guess they are looking for people who are a lot like them,” said Beverly Hills entertainment lawyer Andrew S. Zucker, who was found not qualified for a Superior Court seat. He is running against Municipal Judge James Anthony Kaddo.

“I don’t come from a big firm downtown and I didn’t go to an Ivy League law school, Zucker said. “My opinion is they’re not qualified to evaluate my qualifications,” he added. “They’re very conservative and they’re very narrow in their range of experience. I saw a lot of prosecutors and personal injury lawyers.”

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As expected, Superior Court Judge Alexander H. Williams III, a former federal prosecutor, was rated well qualified to serve on the bench. Williams was admonished last year for using vulgar language and gestures in court and behaving in a hostile manner toward lawyers before him.

Long Beach Municipal Judge Elvira S. Austin was found qualified for the bench despite her rebuke last year for using her office to try to gain the release of a friend who had been arrested.

Williams’ opponent, former County Assessor John Lynch, criticized the bar’s selection process during a debate last week, saying that it favors incumbents and “members of the club” over outsiders. He was judged not qualified, the bar committee said, because it believes he lacks legal experience and judicial temperament.

Lynch, a Northridge attorney, attended law school at night and is a real estate and tax consultant. He refused to participate in the process, saying he was not given enough time to gather references or challenge committee members for conflicts of interest.

Austin’s opponent, attorney James Thompson, was also found to lack legal experience.

Committee Chairman Gerald L. Chaleff said the 53 members broke into six subcommittees to interview the judicial candidates. The candidates were asked to fill out personal data questionnaires and supply the names of up to 75 judges and lawyers who could vouch for their legal skills and knowledge.

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Candidates who were found merely qualified or not qualified were given the chance to appeal, and six did.

Williams has said that the committee upgraded him to well qualified after his appeal.

To be deemed well qualified, the bar said, a candidate must possess the professional ability, experience, competence, integrity and temperament that shows “superior fitness to perform the judicial function with a high degree of skill and effectiveness.”

To be deemed qualified, the candidate needed only to possess those same qualities showing the ability for satisfactory performance on the bench.

If a candidate lacked one or more of those qualities needed for satisfactory performance on the bench, he or she was found not qualified.

Also found not qualified was Antelope Valley attorney Larry H. Layton, who is seeking a Municipal Court seat. He runs his own law school. The bar had found Layton not qualified in previous judicial races.

Superior Court Judge Gary Klausner, currently assigned to probate matters, was found well qualified, while his opponent, retired Judge Burton Bach, was found qualified. In another Superior Court race, both candidates--incumbent John D. Harris and Superior Court Commissioner William R. Torres--were rated well qualified.

Two candidates for the Antelope Municipal Court were found well qualified. They are prosecutor Steven D. Ogden and attorney Joel Wallenstein. Attorney Michael S. Duberchin was rated qualified.

Both candidates for Glendale Municipal Court were found qualified, incumbent Lara A. Matz and challenger Glenn E. Hoiby. As were both candidates for the Rio Hondo Municipal Court, incumbent Peter J. Meeka and challenger Albert Perez.

In Inglewood, Municipal Judge Lawrence E. Mason was rated well qualified, while opponent Kevin Ross was found qualified.