Promoting Judicial Independence

League of Women Voters^®
of North Orange County

Promoting Judicial Independence. An 18 month project supported by grant monies from the League of Women Voters Education Fund and the Legal Policy Program of the Open Society Institute.

KNOW YOUR JUDGES. SPEAKERS BUREAU. COMMUNITY FORUM.

Phase 1

KNOW YOUR JUDGES
A voter education project which collects and disseminates relevant, non-partisan information on judicial candidates in Orange County.
See http://www.smartvoter.org for June 2008 judicial candidate election information.

Phase II

COMMUNITY SPEAKERS BUREAU ON JUDICIAL ISSUES
Democracy depends on a fair, impartial judiciary. Of all branches of government, the judiciary is the least understood. Call the number listed in the paragraph for your city and ask for a speaker for your organization on "Promoting Judicial Independence." The 20 minute presentation will be followed by a Question and Answer Discussion. Speakers have been trained and will bring handouts to enhance the presentation.
For North Orange County, please call Jeanne Blum at 714-879-3847 or email her at jeannepb@gmail.com to schedule a presentation from March 2007 until November 2008 to educate and inform your organization about the critical issues facing our judiciary. We serve the cities of Brea, Buena Park, Cypress, Fullerton, La Habra, La Palma, Placentia and Yorba Linda.
For Central Orange County, please call Marcia Garten at 714-904-6968 or email her at grnths@pacbell.net. COCA serves the cities of Anaheim, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Los Alamitos, Midway City, Orange, Santa Ana, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, and Westminster. See http://www.coca.ca.lwvnet.org for more information on this League.
For Orange Coast, please call 714-962-9680. Orange Coast serves the cities of Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Rancho Santa Margarita, Seal Beach. To schedule a program on Promoting Judicial Independence, call 714-962-9680. For more information about this League go to http://www.orangecoast.ca.lwvnet.org
For Capristano Bay to schedule a program on Promoting Judicial Independence, call 949-361-2158. CAPO serves Capistrano Beach, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, and San Clemente

Phase III

"JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE: IS DEMOCRACY IN DANGER?" This community forum was held on March 1, 2008. A description of the presentations will be posted in this section in the next three weeks.
Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Orange County: CAPO, Central, Orange Coast, and North Orange County
Co-Sponsors:
AAUW Fullerton Branch
Chapman University School of Law
Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County
Orange County Women Lawyers
Western State University College of Law
Whittier Law School

Speakers were:
Janis R. Hirohama, Esq., President League of Women Voters of California
Pearl Mann, Esq. LWVNOC

"Challenges and Judicial Pressures"
The first panel discussed such challenges and pressures as judicial selection; retention removal process; campaign financing and conduct; accountability, voter access to accurate information about judicial candidates and political threats to the courts.

Moderator-Dean John Eastman, Chapman University School of Law

Panelists:
Justice Richard Aronson, CA Court of Appeal 4th District, Division 3
Judge Karen Robinson, Orange County Superior Court
Judge Glenda Sanders, Orange County Superior Court
William Kopeny, Esq., Chair, State Bar Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation
Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, UCI Bren School of Law

Keynote Speaker: "The View from the Supreme Court"
Justice Ming William Chin, California Supreme Court

"Options and Potential Solutions"
The second panel focused on options and potential solutions to the problems raised in the previous panel including the need for public education, legislation, and advocacy support groups.
Moderator: Joseph Dunn, Esq., Former State Senator, CEO California Medical Association
Panelists
Presiding Judge, Nancy Wieben Stock, Orange County Superior Court
Judge Franz Miller, Orange County Superior Court
Joseph Chairez, Esq., Immediate Past President Orange County Bar Association
Michelle Reinglass, OC Lawyer former President of the Orange County Bar Association
Jo-Ann Grace, President and General Counsel, Metropolitan News Company

Mary Fuhrman,President LWVNOC

Supported by OC ILO, LWV Education Fund, and the Program on Constiutional & Legal Policy of the Open Society Institute.

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: July 22, 2008 19:53 PDT.