Page 1
Deputy P.D. Says:
Challenge to Judge David Gelfound Is Based on Philosophy
Candidate Lloyd Handler Faults Incumbent for Not Embracing Such Policies As Promoted by D.A. George Gascón
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Deputy Public Defender Lloyd Handler said yesterday he is opposing Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Gelfound in the June 7 primary because the jurist is not in tune with policies such as those promoted by District Attorney George Gascón, and ascribes blame to the incumbent, who is supervising judge of the North Valley District, for not castigating Judge Michael O’Gara for posting anti-Gascón messages on Facebook.
O’Gara received a public admonishment from the Commission on Judicial Performance on Sept. 14 based on his postings.
Handler said that Gelfound’s “only response to the scandal involving Judge O’Gara’s active participation in an anti-Gascon Facebook group was to suggest that the Judge remove himself from the group; there was no recognition that Judge O’Gara may have been the wrong judge to officiate over a criminal calendar, let alone officiate over the court’s early disposition program.”
Punitive Goals Fail
The deputy public defender provided a statement to the METNEWS in which he said:
“I believe that both nationally and in Los Angeles County, both the people and members of the justice community have realized that a system based on retribution and incarceration has been a failure and has not resulted in significant increases in public safety despite it’s cost in destroyed lives, disrupted families and devastated communities. Although this was clear locally when LA County Voters overwhelmingly elected District Attorney George Gascon, even before he was elected changes were already underway in Los Angeles County as evidenced by the growing number of collaborative courts and programs that emphasized, where possible, providing meaningful rehabilitation of individuals by addressing the root problems that led to their criminal behavior rather than merely incarcerating them and pretending to be unaware of the fact that most incarcerated persons eventually return to the community, usually worse than before.”
He expressed the view that “sitting judges who oppose these trends in public opinion should expect to be challenged.” Handler said he has asked around and “learned that although there were numerous judges who arguably deserved to be challenged for their reactionary actions in the courtroom, Judge Gelfound was mentioned repeatedly in this context.”
Views ‘Infect’ Courthouse
The challenger asserted that as the supervising judge, Gelfound’s “attitudes, rather than being limited to affecting only those unfortunates who end up on his docket, infect the entire San Fernando courthouse” which, he said, “remains one of the few courthouses where the bench as a whole supports those hard-charging prosecutors who believe that a prison sentence is the only way to protect the public.”
The North Valley District includes the San Fernando, Chatsworth, Santa Clarita, and Sylmar Juvenile courthouses.
Gelfound said earlier in the day that he has received a “huge outpouring of support” since Handler filed his declaration of intent to challenge him late Wednesday afternoon, saying that he’s “humbled.”
He noted that the challenge “was a surprise.” The judge said he will hire a professional consultant and anticipates being granted funds from the judges’ political action committee.
Then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger placed Gelfound on the bench in 2007. At the time, he was a deputy district attorney. His law degree is from Pepperdine University. Gelfound was honored by the San Fernando Valley Bar Association in 2019 as “Judge of the Year.”
He was a deputy district attorney from 1989-90, a criminal defense lawyer in Northern California from 2000-2004, and a deputy public defender from 1990-2000 and from 2004 to the present.
Timothy D. Reuben, managing principal of the Brentwood firm of Reuben Raucher & Blum, has filed declarations of intent to run for two offices: one held by Judge James Kaddo, 88, and the other by Judge Sherilyn Garnett, who has been nominated to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
He said yesterday that he has not decided which office to file nominating papers for.
“Judge Kaddo has been on the bench for 30 years,” he noted, adding:
“It is up to the voters to decide whether his age is an issue.”
Reuben also said:
“Judge Garnett has clearly had an outstanding career, and I have no doubt that she will be confirmed by the Senate.”
Two years ago, Reuben’s finance committee spent $550,679.30 on a race he lost to then-Deputy District Attorney Sherry Powell, whose campaign spent only $917.75. Reuben related:
“I have not yet determined the budget for my judicial campaign.”
Taking out declarations of intent for open seats yesterday were Deputy District Attorney David Chiang and criminal defense attorney Matthew Vodnoy.
On his law office website, Vodnoy tells of his days as a deputy district attorney, saying:
“In every case I ever handled, I chose to be as fair as possible, and therefore repeatedly punished by those who saw my version of justice and independent thought as a threat to their political agenda.”
He did not respond to a request for an elaboration.
Copyright 2022, Metropolitan News Company