Kline Cites ‘Honor’ in Ending Bid

Orange County Judge Ronald C. Kline’s decision to drop his reelection bid is “the honorable thing to do” but should not be viewed as an admission of guilt in the child molestation and child pornography charges he faces, according to a statement released Thursday by his defense lawyer.

The announcement on behalf of the beleaguered Superior Court judge is the first time Kline’s camp has explained the jurist’s attempt to withdraw from the November election and offers an insight into the toll the criminal charges are taking on him.

The charges have inflicted “an unbearable strain” upon the judge and caused a “serious distraction for his fellow judges in Orange County,” according to the statement released by attorney Paul S. Meyer.

“For these reasons, and with a complete understanding that he is not guilty of these state charges, he asked that his name be removed from the ballot,” the statement says.

Kline’s effort to withdraw from the race stalled Thursday morning, when Orange County’s presiding judge, Frederick Horn, ruled that the case presents an obvious conflict of interest for any Orange County judge. The matter will be moved to Los Angeles County.

Kline, 61, sat on the Orange County bench for six years as a respected civil court judge until criminal charges were filed against him last year. He continues to receive his $136,244 annual salary as a judge, but a federal court placed him under house arrest, saying he is a threat to children.

If Kline fails in his bid to drop out, his name will appear on the November general election ballot against the as-yet-unknown winner of a write-in campaign to unseat him. If his bid succeeds, the contest will most likely feature the top two write-in candidates.

Though legal experts give Kline little chance of succeeding in his effort to withdraw, Meyer on Wednesday argued that it was in the best interest of voters to allow the judge to pull out.

If Kline is forced to remain, “the voters of Orange County will be harmed in that they will be asked to vote on a candidate who no longer desires to be a candidate for judge,” Meyer argued in court documents.

In his statement to the news media, Meyer criticized anyone who would try to block Kline’s withdrawal. “Any objection to his request,” the lawyer said, “would arise from a motive of personal political gain and would not be in the best interests of the voters.”

County election officials have promised not to oppose Kline’s attempt to bow out, as have at least nine of the 11 write-in candidates who opposed Kline in last week’s primary, according to court records filed by Meyer.

Only one candidate, Dana Point attorney John Adams, has publicly opposed Kline’s withdrawal. Adams has taken an early lead with nearly half the write-in votes counted.

Should that trend continue, Adams would oppose Kline on the November ballot unless the judge is allowed to drop out.

Adams appeared in court Thursday with his own lawyer prepared to argue that election laws prohibit Kline from removing his name from the ballot. And he denied that political gain has played any role in his position.

“He signed, as did I, a sworn declaration that he would not withdraw,” Adams said, adding that if Kline were serious he would resign from office and “stop drawing a salary from the public.”