Four for the Superior Court

On the June 2 ballot there are four contested races for seats on the Los Angeles Superior Court. The Times recommends the following candidates:

Office No. 22: Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Alexander Williams III

Williams is a 14-year veteran of the Superior Court, an experienced and able jurist. He is recalled as a standout, courtly and entertaining, by jurors who have served in his courtroom. The Los Angeles County Bar Assn. rates him “well qualified.” The major blemish on his record was a rare public rebuke from the state Commission on Judicial Performance, stemming from a 1995 incident during which he lost his temper and profanely chastised attorneys in his court. He has apologized, sought counseling and, by all accounts, grown from the incident. His challenger, former county assessor John Lynch, has made much of William’s outburst, but can claim only minimal experience as a practitioner himself, with a “not qualified” rating from the bar.

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Office No. 43: Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gary Klausner

This is a grudge match. Judge Klausner was appointed to the Superior Court in 1985 and has served as its presiding judge. He now supervises the probate courts. His opponent, Burton Bach, won election in 1982 but retired in 1995 and now works as a private judge. He quit rather than accept a transfer from Pomona, where he had spent most of his judicial career, to Norwalk. Animus toward Klausner, who ordered the move, motivates Bach’s election bid. That’s not a good enough reason to unseat a well-qualified sitting judge.

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Office No. 51: Los Angeles Municipal Court Judge John D. Harris

This open seat pits Harris, with 14 years on the Municipal Court, against William Torres, a Superior Court commissioner since 1997 and a referee before that. The bar rates both men as “well qualified” and each would bring different strengths. Torres has broader experience as a practitioner; Harris has much deeper judicial experience. We tip toward Harris.

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Office No. 69: Los Angeles Municipal Court Judge James Anthony Kaddo

Another open seat. Kaddo has been on the Municipal Court bench since 1991 following 27 years in private practice. Zucker has spent 12 years as a practitioner in the rather narrow area of interactive media law. He says he has tried only four cases and has scant criminal experience. Kaddo, The Times’ choice, is a capable jurist who has gained considerable experience sitting by assignment in Superior Court.