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Lawyer to Challenge LASC Judge Garnett
Judge Kaddo Might Also Draw Challenge
By a MetNews Staff Writer
A West Hollywood bankruptcy attorney yesterday filed a declaration of intent to challenge Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett and a Downey lawyer filed a declaration of intent to run for Office No. 141, currently held by Judge James Kaddo who is seeking reelection, but also filed a declaration for two open seats.
The bankruptcy lawyer, Frank Amador, explained earlier that he will seek Office No. 3 because Garnett has been nominated to a post on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. He has refused to say, however, if he will stay in the race if Garnett has not been confirmed by the time final election papers must be filed.
Deputy District Attorney Karen A. Brako on Wednesday took out a declaration to run for Office No. 3. However, she took out a declaration for Office No. 90 on Monday and Office No. 151 yesterday, both open seats.
Kaddo Is Running
Kaddo, who turned 88 yesterday, has filed a declaration of intent to run. He reconfirmed yesterday that he will be taking the final step of filing nominating papers, perfecting his candidacy.
“I have told people that I will retire at my own time and it is not now,” he said.
Van Nuys lawyer Naser Khoury previously said he would run against Kaddo, but then took out declarations for five open seats.
Now emerging as a possible challenger is attorney Eric Alfonso Torices, who also filed declarations for Offices 70, occupied by Judge Raul A. Sahagun, and 151, held by Judge Morton Rochman. Those jurists have opted not to run.
Whichever of the offices he runs for, if any, Torices is apt to draw heat over the advertising on his campaign website. Implying incumbency, he is identified on the main page as:
“Eric Alfonso Torices
“Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge.”
‘Judge Pro Tem’
On a subsequent page, he is pictured in a black robe, on the bench. The text reads:
“In early 2018, Mr. Torices became a Judge Pro Tem for the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Temporary Judge Program. His first few months as a Judge Pro Tem were spent reviewing and signing off on Family Law judgments at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. Then in the fall of 2018, Mr. Torices was assigned his first bench assignment. After 3 years on the bench, he effectively completed 128 assignments in Family Law and Traffic.”
A rule of the Superior Court’s Temporary Judge Committee forbids reference by candidates to being a “Judge Pro Tem” on the basis of giving the impression that the person is a judge. Torices is not subject to removal from the program for his violation, however, because he resigned from it in October.
His use of the term, and his boast of having been “on the bench” for three years, could bring into play Canon 5B(1)(b) of the Code of Judicial Ethics. It provides that a candidate may not “knowingly, or with reckless disregard for the truth, make false or misleading statements about the identity, qualifications, present position, or any other fact concerning himself or herself….”
A violation of that rule by an attorney is a breach of Rule 8.2 of the Rules of Professional Conduct.
New Potential Candidate
Deputy District Attorney Melissa Lyons yesterday filed a declaration of intent to seek Office No. 90. She has formed a campaign finance committee which reports having $15,270.56 on hand as of Dec. 31.
Lyons has a professional campaign consultant, Crystal M. Litz.
Unless a judge who has taken out a declaration decides not to file it, or a judge who has said he or she will be filing a declaration doesn’t, there will be six open seats on the June 7 ballot.
Incumbents and challengers must file declarations by Wednesday. The period for filing declarations to seek open seats ends Feb. 14.
Copyright 2022, Metropolitan News Company