May 13, 2008

Judicial hopefuls tout experience

Endorsements, legal backgrounds stressed

By Kristina Peterson / Daily News Staff Writer

Without policy changes to promise, the five candidates running to be Santa Clara County's newest judge stressed their experience and endorsements at a Monday night forum.

Four of the five candidates to replace retiring Superior Court Judge Ray Cunningham, Seat 8, have current or past experience as a deputy district attorney, but the would-be judges refrained from the back-and-forth of political debates. Instead, they emphasized their own areas of expertise at the forum hosted by the League of Women Voters.

Deputy District Attorney Lane Liroff pointed to his endorsements from 36 current and retired Superior Court judges and three decades as a prosecutor, recalling a case for which he had to wear bulletproof armor to walk to the courthouse.

Fellow Deputy District Attorney Tim Pitsker called himself "a workhorse in the office," citing as an example the trial he finished for another prosecutor in 1981 - a week before he was officially on the county payroll.

Palo Alto resident Jay Boyarsky, formerly the supervising deputy district attorney at the Palo Alto courthouse, pointed to a sexual predator protection law he helped write on his own time and underlined the support he received from every police officers' association in Santa Clara County that makes endorsements.

San Jose private attorney Diane Ritchie, who spent time as a deputy district attorney and representing clients in class-action lawsuits, noted that her 70 percent settlement rate as a mediator with the state department of Fair Employment and Housing was the highest. And she later added that as a woman, she would help add a female voice to the county, where 75 percent of the judges are male.

County court commissioner Jesus Valencia also emphasized that as the son of migrant farm workers, he would add diversity to the bench, as well as experience from his six years spent as a pro tempore judge.

Asked by an audience member how each would try to lower the justice system's high incarceration rates and mounting costs, several of the candidates stressed turning to options other than jail when sentencing.

"Alternatives in non-violent cases when they seek to rehabilitate can be very wise measures," Liroff said.

And though Pitsker agreed rehabilitation is a worthy goal, he pointed to a "breakdown in family values" as a major problem contributing to crime.

Pointing to her background as a mediator, Ritchie's aim would be "helping people to resolve their disputes early," she said.

Boyarsky struck a different note, saying that the desire to lower costs could not interfere with putting criminals behind bars.

"Public safety must come first," he said.

When focusing on how to stem the tide of recurring and gang-related violence, Valencia said he would urge those appearing in his court to follow his path and take advantage of the opportunities provided in the United States.

"There are no Nortenos or Surenos in the grand scheme of things," he said.

Residents will vote for the county's next judge in the June 3 primary.



E-mail Kristina Peterson at kpeterson@dailynewsgroup.com.