Spokane7
65°
May 31, 2010 in Nation/World
Christian conservatives target California judges
Critics fear effect on courts’ impartiality
SAN DIEGO – A group of conservative attorneys say they are on a mission from God to unseat four California judges in a rare challenge that is turning a traditionally snooze-button election into what both sides call a battle for the integrity of U.S. courts.
Vowing to be God’s ambassadors on the bench, the four San Diego Superior Court candidates are backed by pastors, gun enthusiasts, and opponents of abortion and same-sex marriage.
“We believe our country is under assault and needs Christian values,” said Craig Candelore, a family law attorney who is one of the group’s candidates. “Unfortunately, God has called upon us to do this only with the judiciary.”
The challenge is unheard of in California, one of 33 states to directly elect judges. Critics say the campaign is aimed at packing the courts with judges who adhere to the religious right’s moral agenda and threatens both the impartiality of the court system and the separation of church and state.
Opponents fear the June 8 race is a strategy that could transform courtroom benches just like some school boards, which have seen an increasing number of Christian conservatives win seats in cities across the country and push for such issues as prayer in classrooms.
“Any organization that wants judges to subscribe to a certain political party or certain value system or certain way of ruling to me threatens the independence of the judiciary,” San Diego County’s District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said.
“Judges should be evaluated based on their qualifications and their duty to follow the law.”
The campaign by California’s social conservatives comes at a time when judges and scholars in many states are debating whether judges should be elected or appointed, citing the danger that campaign contributions could influence their rulings. Other states have lifted restrictions allowing judges to express their opinions publicly so people know what their biases are.
Special interest groups, including those representing gay marriage opponents, have ramped up donations for judicial races in recent years, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University’s school of law.
In Iowa’s June 8 primary, two Republican gubernatorial candidates have announced they favor ousting Supreme Court judges whose unanimous decision last year legalized same-sex marriage.
“An effective way in driving policy is to try to influence who is on the courts in a state, particularly the highest court, the supreme court,” said Adam Skaggs, counsel for the Brennan Center. “It’s cause for concern because Americans expect courts to be places where people get a fair trial.”
Most of those efforts have been aimed at state supreme courts, not courts like San Diego Superior Court that rules on custody battles and crime cases.
Called “Better Courts Now,” the movement was the brainchild of Don Hamer, San Diego County’s late Zion Christian Fellowship pastor who campaigned locally for California’s ban on gay marriage, Proposition 8, and vetted the candidates before he died of a heart attack in March.
His fellow pastor Brian Hendry and other supporters have carried on his legacy, launching the mostly online campaign to replace the incumbent judges – all Democrats – with Christian conservatives.
Lantz Lewis, who has been a judge for 20 years, said his opponent’s campaign is taking judicial elections in the wrong direction.
“I have no problem with elections, but I think it really should focus on a judge’s qualifications, and it’s very difficult to think something good could come out of a partisan judicial election,” he said.
At a debate the group organized at the Rancho del Rey church in San Marcos, candidate Harold J. Coleman Jr. told supporters it’s fair for voters to know a judge’s values.
“That doesn’t mean he won’t follow the law,” Coleman said.
© Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Stocks plummet as outlook in Europe dims 
Scoutster on May 31 at 1:02 a.m.
They want activist judges. When did that stop being a conservative rallying point?
JBlim on May 31 at 7:36 a.m.
“backed by pastors, gun enthusiasts, and opponents of abortion and same-sex marriage…”
… and polluters, developers, and religious nuts.
noethics1 on May 31 at 10:50 a.m.
Below are the URLs for 2 recent articles re: the religious rights attempt to unseat 4 judges in San Diego. Thought it might be of interest.
Is San Diego Judicial Candidate Bill Trask a moron, religious zealot and a nut case?
http://tinyurl.com/27b68xm
Judges for Jesus – Religious Zealots attempt to unseat 4 San Diego Judges
http://tinyurl.com/29vgp5x
Dave Palmer
Freelance Investigative Reporter
Folsom, CA
misjustice on May 31 at 9:01 p.m.
Haven’t the compassionate conservatives, ala W, already done enough damage to our democracy?