Judge Martinez Has Retired, Judge Brandlin Will Leave the Bench on June 1

Metropolitan News-Enterprise

Friday, May 4, 2018

Page 1

Judge Martinez Has Retired, Judge Brandlin Will Leave the Bench on June 1

Brandlin Will Assume Post of Court’s Director of Security

By a MetNews Staff Writer

ROBERT MARTINEZ

Retired Judge

JAMES BRANDLIN

Superior Court Judge

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert Martinez retired from the bench yesterday, and another member of that tribunal, Judge James Brandlin, will leave his post on Friday, June 1.

The following Monday, Brandlin will become the director of security for the court, a part-time position.

“I will oversee the security and life safety operations of the superior court and I will interact with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department to ensure that we have appropriate coverage for each of our courtrooms and courthouses,” he told the MetNews yesterday.

Former Deputy Sheriff

The judge, who was a Santa Barbara deputy sheriff from 1978 until 1986 when he was admitted to the State Bar, elaborated:

“I have always been passionate about judicial security and privacy protection. I have served as the chair of the court’s Security Committee for the last 18 years.

“I have taught a course on judicial security and privacy protection to all new judicial officers throughout the state for more than ten years at the judicial college. I have also taught a similar course at the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, and across the United States for various judicial and law enforcement entities including the California Sheriff’s Association and the National Sheriff’s Association.

“I have written and sponsored six legislative bills in California, all of which were enacted into law, to provide greater home address and telephone privacy protection for all public safety officials.”

Appointments to Bench

Martinez, 69, was appointed to his post by then-Gov. George Deukmejian on Sept. 18, 1985, and Brandlin, 59, was named to the court by then-Gov. Pete Wilson on Jan. 22, 1993.

At the time of their appointments, Martinez was a judge of the East Los Angeles Municipal Court and Brandlin was a supervising deputy in Los Angeles District Attorney’s office. Martinez had also served as a deputy in that office.

Martinez was a co-founder and first president of the Mexican American Bar Association. He could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Supervising Criminal Courts

Brandlin said his most “challenging and rewarding times on the bench” was as supervising judge of the criminal courts. He recalled enjoying interaction “with the department heads and administrators of the other criminal justice agencies in Los Angeles County and working collaboratively to streamline case processing and resolving issues.”

The judge said he found pleasure in calling calendar in Department 100, the nerve center of the criminal courts, the place where the rubber met the road.” He added:

I will miss being a trial judge and watching some of our finest lawyers practicing their craft. I intend to apply to serve in the Assigned Judges Program and sit under assignment on an as needed basis.

“The practice of law is a noble profession and I am proud to have served. I look forward to the next phase of my professional career and I am glad that it is only a part-time assignment which will leave me with time to travel and watch my grandchildren grow up.”