Monday, November 4, 2019
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Eleventh Candidate Files Declaration for Superior Court Seat
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Manuel Alejandro Almada on Friday took the first step toward seeking a judgeship on the Los Angeles Superior Court by filing a declaration of intent to run for Office No. 150, held by Judge Fred Rotenberg who is not seeking reelection.
Almada, who is assigned to the victim impact program in Van Nuys, said he has handled 65 jury trials for offenses including murder and major fraud. His law degree is from Whittier.
He is the eleventh candidate to emerge who is seeking election to the county’s Superior Court.
Amerian Files Declaration
Also on Friday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael R. Amerian took out a declaration of intent to run to succeed himself. On Thursday, Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Scott Andrew Yang filed a declaration to run for Amerian’s post—Office No. 93—based on the notion of his campaign consultant that it was an open seat.
Westwood attorney Timothy D. Reuben pulled a declaration for the same seat, actually intending, he explained, to run for a different office: the seat being vacated by Judge Debre Katz Weintraub, No. 72.
Yang, as of press time Friday, had taken out declarations of intent to run for six seats and filed five of those declarations, including the one for Amerian’s seat. He said on Thursday that he would not challenge an incumbent.
With respect to the other four declarations, the office numbers and current occupants are No 131, Judge Daniel P. Ramirez; No. 145, Judge Richard Romero; No. 150, Rotenberg; and No. 162, William N. Sterling.
Rueben on Friday took out declarations for the offices held by Judge Thomas Trent Lewis (No. 129), Weintraub, and Rotenberg.
Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Emily Cole, who on Tuesday pulled a declaration for Office No. 145, on Friday took out a declaration for Office No. 162.
Eight Open Seats
So far, eight judges of the 188 who are up for election have said they will not be candidates.
Three judges whose terms end in January, 2021 and have not taken out declarations—and won’t say if they plan to run—are Robert P. Applegate (Office No. 76), Kevin L. Brown (Office No. 94), and Patrick T. Meyers (Office No. 80).
Eight judges have taken out declarations but not filed them.
They include Randolph Rogers, who has endorsed Deputy District Attorney Shannon Kathleen Cooley to succeed him. A political consulting firm apparently took out the declaration on his behalf in error.
Incumbents and challengers have until Wednesday to take out and file declarations of intent. The deadline for those seeking open seats is Nov. 12.
Nominating petitions are due by Dec. 6. The primary is slated for March 3.
Copyright 2019, Metropolitan News Company