Juvenile Court Judge Given a Sad Farewell

As Steven Z. Perren steps down from Juvenile Court in preparation for his new position as an appellate court judge, officials are uncertain what direction the juvenile justice system will take in the coming years.

Will planning for a new state-of-the-art detention center stay on track and continue to draw the same attention and resources as it has in recent months? Will Juvenile Court stray from its focus on rehabilitation and become more punitive? Will the host of community programs started under Perren--such as Juvenile Drug Court--keep going strong?

“There will be a loss to the system without him,” Chief Probation Officer Cal Remington said. “When people hear him speak, that gives more credibility to the juvenile justice system. But we’ll have to fill that void as much as possible. And the system is stronger because of him.”

Perren, 57, is expected to be sworn in Tuesday to the 2nd Appellate District Court, which covers Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

His successor, Superior Court Judge Brian Back, 49, starts hearing juvenile cases today and is expected to be officially appointed Wednesday. Though he is excited about becoming a Juvenile Court judge, he is also nervous about the newness, the responsibility and the expectations.

“If I started thinking about stepping into Steve Perren’s shoes, I would never go to Juvenile Court,” Back said. “I would never measure up. I just have to forget that he’s been there, and do the best I can.”

Though county officials are concerned about Perren’s departure, they voice confidence that Back will be a committed Juvenile Court judge who will maintain the focus on prevention and rehabilitation, and who will be an advocate for the youths and the juvenile justice system as a whole.

“Judge Back is another super guy,” said Superior Court Judge John Dobroth, who also presides over Juvenile Court. “He won’t be able to replace Steve, because Steve is a statewide expert on many things, but he brings a lot of compassion and is real hard-working.”

They also believe that Perren will continue to be a strong advocate for youths in the county.

“He didn’t stop caring about kids when he got this appointment,” said Tina Rasnow, who heads up Teen Court. “I think his presence will still be felt.”

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Though Perren has presided over criminal, civil and family law cases during his 17 years on the bench, he is best known for his dedication to young people in Ventura County. After working as a prosecutor and as a civil attorney, Perren was appointed to the Superior Court in 1982. Since then, he has spent five years as a Juvenile Court judge, years Perren said have been among the most important in his life.

Colleagues and community members praise Perren for having a meaningful impact on the system--its programs, its facilities and its youths.

“His kind of leadership has had a great influence on improving the juvenile justice system,” said Ventura County Public Defender Kenneth Clayman. “He really elevated it to a higher level.”

Perren is seen as the driving force behind securing a $40.5-million state grant to build a modern detention center, set to open in summer 2003. The detention center will be part of a larger complex designed to bring together all branches of the system: courtrooms, classrooms, counseling and probation offices.

The new facility will significantly change juvenile justice in Ventura County, officials said. Police officers will be able to arrest and detain more young offenders, and judges will be able to order longer sentences for them.

And while the teens are incarcerated, they will be able to receive more mental-health and substance-abuse counseling.

“The new facility will help provide more protection for the community and more opportunity for kids to change destructive lifestyles,” said Remington, the chief probation officer.

Perren also helped start several programs for troubled and at-risk youth. Teen Court, where high school students serve as attorneys and juries, tries teenagers for minor infractions, such as fighting, smoking in school or possession of marijuana. Juvenile Drug Court gives youths the chance to shorten their probation period or avoid time in Juvenile Hall if they agree to receive treatment and stay off drugs.

During a session of Drug Court on Thursday, Perren told the teens that he was leaving.

“You’re the reason I will miss this terribly,” he said. “I don’t leave here easily. I don’t leave Juvenile Court easily. I don’t leave this program easily. But I promise you I will come to your graduation.”

Pam, a Santa Paula mother whose two teenagers have appeared in front of Perren for various offenses, said that she was always impressed by his dedication.

“I thought he was a wonder judge,” she said. “He worked really hard, and against some tough odds. And he was especially good with my daughter. He didn’t cut her any slack. If she got off line, he would throw her into Juvenile Hall.”

After spending some time in the hall, Pam’s 15-year-old daughter recently participated in an early-intervention program in Santa Paula, and has been out of trouble since.

Programs like the one in Santa Paula and a similar one in Oxnard aim to identify troubled youths before they get into the system, and steer them away from drugs, gangs and crime.

Carmen Flores, director of the Oxnard program, hopes the juvenile justice system will continue to focus on prevention. “We need sanctions for habitual offenders, but I think we’ve come to realize that we need to do something at the front end.”

Perren said if he had more time in Juvenile Court, he would focus on improving the education of young offenders. While they are maneuvering through the court system, Perren said, the teens often don’t attend school. And when they are released from Juvenile Hall or the Colston Youth Center, they have trouble getting readmitted.

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When Perren first heard he might be appointed to the appellate court, he immediately thought of Back to be his successor. He expects that the court will change somewhat under Back, but he isn’t worried about it losing its focus.

“If you allow yourself to care about what happens to these kids, you cannot help but be committed,” Perren said. “Brian is a good guy, and he cares.”

Back graduated from Claremont Men’s College in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in political science, and earned a master’s degree in government from Claremont Graduate School in 1974. In 1977, he graduated from the University of Santa Clara Law School.

In his 20 years as an attorney, he practiced civil law, most recently as a partner at Arnold, Back, Mathews, Wojkowski & Zirbel in Westlake Village. In 1997, then-Gov. Pete Wilson appointed Back as a Municipal Court judge in Ventura County.

Back has lived in Camarillo with his wife, Kathleen, since 1978. They have five children ranging in age between 10 and 21. Back has coached AYSO soccer for a decade and participates in Boy Scouts, Indian Guides and Princesses, and the Thousand Oaks Rotary Club.

About five years ago, he started the “Lunch With a Judge” program, which introduces teens to the court in a casual, comfortable way.

In the last few weeks, Back has been trying to get up to speed, spending time with Perren and meeting people involved in juvenile justice in the county. On Thursday he observed Juvenile Drug Court, and Friday he sat in for Judge Dobroth. This week, in addition to starting on the bench, he will preside over Teen Court at Thousand Oaks High School. He said he doesn’t have Perren’s expertise, but he isn’t afraid to ask questions.

Chris Weidenheimer, division chief of Ventura County Juvenile Hall, said Back has a long way to go.

“He is very unfamiliar with the juvenile justice system, but he is very open to learning,” she said. “It’s going to take him some time, but he’s very concerned about the kids, just like Judge Perren is.”

Deputy Dist. Atty. Miles Weiss, who supervises the juvenile unit, said he is looking forward to having Back “come on board and fill some pretty big shoes.”

“He has definitely taken a sincere interest and is getting up to speed,” Weiss said. “The juvenile justice system as a whole is going to try and help him out, and I think it will be a smooth transition.”

After becoming more knowledgeable about juvenile law, Back said the biggest challenge will be figuring out the best way to help the youths. Back made it clear that he agrees with Perren’s emphasis on prevention and rehabilitation.

“I don’t go in with the illusion that I’m going to be able to save X percentage of the kids,” Back said. “But for some of these kids, the only positive thing that’s happened to them their entire lives is the help they’re going to get from the juvenile justice system.”

But Back does intend to hold teens accountable for their actions. Young criminals, he said, need to be punished, even if it’s not called punishment. “I don’t see myself as soft or tough,” he said. “I see myself struggling to do the right thing for these kids.”