Two Prosecutors File for Court Seat Opened by Judge’s Exit

Friday, February 5, 2016

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Two Prosecutors File for Court Seat Opened by Judge’s Exit

By KENNETH OFGANG, Staff Writer

Two deputy district attorneys, both currently represented by the same campaign consultant, filed declarations of intent yesterday to run for the Los Angeles Superior Court seat being left open by Judge Michelle Rosenblatt.

Rosenblatt said Wednesday she would not run for another term. Deputy District Attorneys Javier Perez and Debra Archuleta both filed their paperwork to run for her seat yesterday morning.

Perez and Archuleta have both retained consultant David Gould, as have about a dozen other potential candidates. But Gould acknowledged yesterday that, as things now stand, there are likely to be only three or four open seats when filing closes Wednesday.

“I’m going to have to have a heart-to-heart talk with some of my clients” at that point, he told the MetNews.

There will be an extended period, ending Feb. 16, in which non-incumbents may file for any seat in which the incumbent doesn’t file.

Archuleta and another Gould client, Deputy District Attorney Steven Schreiner, had filed Tuesday for the seat of Judge Marsha Revel. But Schreiner said yesterday he has no intention of running against an incumbent, and will await further developments before targeting another seat.

There is no limit to the number of seats for which a candidate may filed declarations of intent, each of which must be accompanied by a separate $1,890.41 filing fee or by signatures in lieu of such fee. Each signature of a registered county voter reduces the fee by 25 cents.

Gould suggested there may have been confusion about Revel’s intentions because she and Rosenblatt—whose decision not to run had been rumored—share the same initials.

The newly opened seat is not the only one which multiple Gould clients are eyeing.

Superior Court Commissioner Cynthia Zuzga and Deputy District Attorney Efrain M. Aceves both filed Tuesday for the seat of Judge Ray Santana, who is not expected to seek reelection. The other candidates for that seat are Deputy District Attorney Fred Mesropi and sole practitioner Eric Ibisi.

Complicating matters further, Zuzga yesterday took out paperwork to run for the Rosenblatt seat.

In other news, Judge Elden Fox Tuesday filed a declaration of intent to run for reelection. Deputy District Attorney David Berger, a Gould client, and Deputy Attorney General Kim Nguyen, who is being advised by Parke Skelton and SG&A Campaigns, had filed for that seat, but both said they do not intend to run against Fox.

Gould, as of yesterday morning, had one client running unopposed—Deputy District Attorney Susan Jung Townsend, who is seeking the seat apparently being vacated by Judge Alan Rosenfield.

Besides Santana, Rosenblatt and Rosenfield, the only incumbents who had not taken out election paperwork by yesterday morning were Judges Michael Small, Carol Williams Elswick, Julian C. Recana, Daniel Juarez, Kathleen O. Diesman, and Jon R. Takasugi.