Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Page 1
Superior Court Judge Mark G. Nelson Sr. Says He Won’t Seek Reelection This Year
Would Create Open Seat, Depending on Timing of Retirement
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mark G. Nelson Sr. said yesterday he will not run for reelection in the June 5 primary, thus possibly creating an open seat.
“My plan is to retire on a date that has yet to be determined,” he advised.
The period for filing declarations of intent to run starts Monday and ends Feb. 7. If Nelson should retire before a candidate has filed papers, Gov. Jerry Brown would have the prerogative of appointing a successor to Nelson and the election for Office No. 71 will be called off.
There are two confirmed open seats: No. 4, being vacated by Judge Roy Paul, who is retiring Feb.16, and Office No. 67, being relinquished by Judge Donna Goldstein, who plans to retire near the end of March.
Judge William G. Willet, who has been in ill health, has not responded to inquiries as to whether he will run.
Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Alfred Coletta has filed signatures in lieu of a filing fee for Office No. 4 and Deputy Los Angeles City Attorney Onica Cole has filed signatures to pay for a run for Office No. 67. Their campaign consultant is David Gould.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David DeJute of the Central District of California is represented by Cerrell Associates, Inc. in connection with a possible campaign.
Nelson, who was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1984, received his law degree that year from Western State University College of Law. Taking a course opposite the norm, he later attained his bachelor’s degree, receiving it from California State University, Fullerton in 1989.
He was an associate in the Law Offices of Arthur J. Jaffee in 1984, a deputy district attorney from 1984-88, a sole practitioner in Pomona from 1988-90, and was a deputy public defender until his appointment to the Citrus Municipal Court in 1997. Nelson became a Superior Court judge in 2000 through unification.
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