Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Page 8

EDITORIAL

Seven Endorsed for Los Angeles Superior Court

The 11 judicial races on the ballot are, of course, each of equal importance. The brevity of the following discussions does not connote a minimizing of the significance of the races, but simply the obviousness, to us, of who the better or best candidate is. Yesterday, we used words in setting forth why we could not endorse in the race between Deputy District Attorneys Mary Ann Escalante and Wendy, Segall; we now use few words to explain easy choices.

At the end are our ratings of the candidates, there no longer being any other reliable source for such ratings.

Alfred Coletta

Los Angeles Superior Court Office No. 4

Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Alfred Coletta is a 30-year prosecutor. Level-headed and able, he would run a courtroom calmly and efficiently. While Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner A. Verdnica Sauceda has judicial experience—which should not be minimized and is doing her job well, she simply does not have the depth of background that Coletta does. Qualifications of Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney Matthew Schonbrun pale in comparison to those of Coletta and Sauceda.

Sydne Jane Michel

Los Angeles Superior Court Office No. 16

Redondo Beach Senior Deputy Prosecutor Sydne Jane Michel stands out in this race. Intelligent, poised, and straight-to-the-point, she would excel as a judge. Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney Patricia Hunter and Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Hubert Yun also have the capacity to serve as judges.

Tony J. Cho

Los Angeles Superior Court Office No. 60

Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Tony J. Cho is the clear choice here. Imbued with a strong work ethic, he would be a productive judge, and those appearing in his courtroom would find him respectful and fair. Los Angeles Deputy Public Defender Holly L. Hancock is a pleasant person, but would have difficulty keeping proceedings on track; she’s verbose, and wanders in her dissertations. Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Ben Colella is, from all accounts, lazy, and clearly not equipped to be a judge.

Malcolm Mackey

Los Angeles Superior Court Office No. 63

A dedicated and proficient jurist, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Malcolm Mackey, is being challenged by an unaccomplished lawyer, Anthony Lewis. At 88, Mackey is mentally sharp and in good health. Through the years, his legal knowledge has mounted, his wisdom expanded. We have previously endorsed Mackey in this contest and reiterate our strong support of him.

David A. Berger

Los Angeles Superior Court Office No. 71

Danielle R.A. Gibbons was appointed last year as a Los Angeles Superior Court commissioner. Her bench experience is a significant factor. Yet, the credentials of Deputy District Attorney David Berger overshadow hers. Berger’s qualities are such that he has the potential of becoming one of the court’s stellar members. He is even-tempered, highly articulate, and dignified. He grasps arguments quickly and knows the law, enabling him to decide matters without pondering.

Steven Schreiner

Los Angeles Superior Court Office No. 113

Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Steven Schreiner and Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Javier Perez both have the ability to serve as a Superior Court judge. While we have no criticism of Perez, and regard him highly, we endorse Schreiner. At age 61, and with an amazing 224 felony jury trials, including 83 murder trials, behind him, he has the know-how, as well as maturity, to serve admirably as a judge. Also running is Michael P. Ribons, whose campaign representations as to his experience appear highly questionable. When he ran two years ago, we did not endorse him, but failed to spot what we now discern: an utter lack of suitability for a judgeship.

Armando Durón

Los Angeles Superior Court Office No. 146

Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Armando Dur6n is not a “warm and fuzzy’’ person. He’s a bit brittle. Yes, he has judicial experience; his bench performance, however, is not top-notch. Durón is, however, far preferable to Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Emily Theresa Spear who, at 36, acts like a teenager and tells little white lies.

MetNews candidate ratings:

Supremely Well Suited: Malcolm Mackey.

Well Suited: Alfred A. Coletta, A. Veronica Sauceda, Sydne Jane Michel, David A. Berger, Javier Perez, Steven Schreiner.

Qualified: Matthew Schonbrun, Patricia (Patti) Hunter, Hubert S. Yun, Tony J. Cho, Holly L. Hancock, Dennis P. Vincent, Maria Lucy Armendariz, Danielle R.A. Gibbons, Troy Davis, Rene Caldwell Gilbertson, Ken Fuller, Armando Durón.

Not Presently Qualified: Emily Theresa Spear.

Lacking Necessary Experience: Shlomo Frieman.

Unfit: Ben Colella, Anthony Lewis, Onica Valle Cole, Michael P. Ribons, David D. Diamond.

Not rated: Macy Ann Escalante, Wendy E. Segall.