Friday, February 5, 2010
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Chances for Open Seats Dwindle as Judges Seek Re-Election
By a MetNews Staff Writer
The last of 155 Los Angeles Superior Court judges seeking re-election took out their candidacy papers yesterday, leaving only three open seats to be contested in the June 8 primary.
That number is the smallest in the 10 years since all trial court contests became countywide races under the court unification amendment to the state Constitution. There were 10 open seats two years ago, seven in 2006, and five each in 2004 and 2002.
The three judges who are not running for new six-year terms are William Pounders, who previously told the MetNews he would step down when his term ends next January; Emily Stevens, who is on leave and expected to retire in the fall; and William Weisman, who has scheduled his retirement for May 11.
Candidates who have filed or taken steps to run for those seats are:
•Deputy District Attorney Valerie Salkin, who has filed a declaration of intent to run for the Weisman seat;
•Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney Thomas Griego, who is an announced candidate for the Weisman seat;
•Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney Chris Garcia and Superior Court Referee Randall Hammock, both of whom filed declarations of intent to run for the Stevens seat;
•Deputy District Attorney Alan Schneider, who filed for the Pounders seat;
•Deputy Public Defender C. Edward Mack, who obtained, but has not filed, declaration-of-intent forms for the Stevens and Pounders seats;
•Deputy District Attorney Lou Holtz Jr., who has raised nearly $400,000 for a contest but reiterated yesterday that he will not run against Schneider or Salkin and said he was undecided about whether to run for the Stevens seat or pass this time around;
•Pasadena attorney Anthony de los Reyes, who has not announced which seat he would run for, although a source who knows the candidate said he would likely file for the Pounders seat; and
•Los Angeles attorney Elizabeth Moreno, Calabassas attorney William Margolin, and Deputy District Attorney Laurie Trammell Castandeda, all of whom who have announced bids but have not targeted specific seats.
In addition, only one candidate—Glendale attorney Marvin Fischler—has targeted an incumbent judge. Fischler has taken out papers to run against Judge Laura Matz.
The declaration-of-intent filing deadlines are Feb. 10 for incumbents and challengers and Feb. 16 for open seats.
Copyright 2010, Metropolitan News Company