how do I vote for judges? I don't know shit about these candidates.

[Gil Bang 26190]

We've batted this subject around here a bit before, but here it is for real. 

My mail-in ballot has a dozen judges up for election.  I'm liberal in general, and I'm SUPER FUCKING LIBERAL when it comes to judges.  I want people that give a fuck about rights, and will not sign bullshit no-knock warrants.  I'm voting 100% Dem on this ballot, for the first time ever.  The judge candidates do not identify by party. 

I'm thinking I should call the San Diego Dem HQ and ask for guidance.  Anybody got a better idea?

[elfenix 34666]

find the league of women voters guide and don't vote for anyone who didn't bother answering

[DanRydell 799]

I assume the judges have endorsements so I'd probably look to those absent better information

[Guest]

You're in California.

They all fit your requirements.

[Bookman 4754]

I've been a lawyer for 15 years. I've seen some excellent judges lose, and some very bad judges win, because they got lucky in riding the partisan wave.

[Js1 87039]

7 hours ago, elfenix said:

find the league of women voters guide and don't vote for anyone who didn't bother answering

Correct.

1 hour ago, Bookman said:

I've been a lawyer for 15 years. I've seen some excellent judges lose, and some very bad judges win, because they got lucky in riding the partisan wave.

True dat.

[RPM 26579]

1 hour ago, Bookman said:

I've been a lawyer for 15 years. I've seen some excellent judges lose, and some very bad judges win, because they got lucky in riding the partisan wave.

Especially in the smaller areas. There are a couple around here that have run unopposed since the 90's.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11858]

1 hour ago, Bookman said:

I've been a lawyer for 15 years. I've seen some excellent judges lose, and some very bad judges win, because they got lucky in riding the partisan wave.

Or name recognition.  Can't remember who it was anymore but a couple years ago one judge got elected just because he had the same name as a well-known legislator.

[elfenix 34666]

2 hours ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Or name recognition.  Can't remember who it was anymore but a couple years ago one judge got elected just because he had the same name as a well-known legislator.

the long-time JP of a western harris county precinct was long time UH football coach bill yeoman's son, also named bill yeoman.  a lot of people thought they were voting for coach.

Edited October 15, 2018 by elfenix

[MaybeACoordinator 8350]

Talk to the lawyers you know and ask them. I know some super-liberal lawyers who have endorsed Republican judges because they are really good at what they do. And a lot of them are literally RINOs. For a long time in Harris County there was no way you were getting elected to the bench unless you said you were a Republican. 

[Js1 87039]

3 hours ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Or name recognition.  Can't remember who it was anymore but a couple years ago one judge got elected just because he had the same name as a well-known legislator.

Dan Patrick's son who then lost in 2016 when the Harris County GOP got decimated?

[Foosters 18248]

10 hours ago, DanRydell said:

I assume the judges have endorsements so I'd probably look to those absent better information

This is the correct answer.  And just fyi, political affiliation, at least in CA, has almost no bearing on what type of judge they will be.

Edited October 15, 2018 by Foosters

[elfenix 34666]

8 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Dan Patrick's son who then lost in 2016 when the Harris County GOP got decimated?

i used to eat lunch with ryan in high school. his name actually is ryan.  not sure if dan is the senior goeb's real name. 

[TwiceHorn 32014]

10 hours ago, DanRydell said:

I assume the judges have endorsements so I'd probably look to those absent better information

 

4 minutes ago, Foosters said:

This is the correct answer.  And just fyi, political affiliation, at least in CA, has almost no bearing on what type of judge they will be.

Yep, yep.  Look for endorsements you can get behind, or do not like.  For a criminal judge, a law-enforcement endorsement is probably bad news.  Anything they say about "tough on crime" is bad news.

In civil judges, "politics" are really meaningless for the most part.  Look for lawyer's association endorsements for experience, temperament, that sort of thing.

[TwiceHorn 32014]

20 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

 

Yep, yep.  Look for endorsements you can get behind, or do not like.  For a criminal judge, a law-enforcement endorsement is probably bad news.  Anything they say about "tough on crime" is bad news.

In civil judges, "politics" are really meaningless for the most part.  Look for lawyer's association endorsements for experience, temperament, that sort of thing.

Probably the biggest issue with civil judges is laziness/competence.  By this, I mean they are really slow to rule on stuff because they are unfamiliar with it and lazy about getting familiar with it or just plain lazy, slow, and indecisive.  Second is probably just sheer stupidity or lack of experience.  On occasion, you will see a pro-plaintiff or pro-defendant orientation, but that is more rare.

[bad_teammate 13485]

52 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

For any elected office, a law-enforcement endorsement is probably bad news.

Fixed

[elfenix 34666]

30 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Probably the biggest issue with civil judges is laziness/competence.  By this, I mean they are really slow to rule on stuff because they are unfamiliar with it and lazy about getting familiar with it or just plain lazy, slow, and indecisive.  Second is probably just sheer stupidity or lack of experience.  On occasion, you will see a pro-plaintiff or pro-defendant orientation, but that is more rare.

this is my biggest concern with civil judges.  give me someone that can run a docket, understand arguments, and make decisions in a timely fashion and i can do the rest myself. 

[RDCanecutter 26859]

Gil, I will let you use my system for distinguishing between candidates you don't know without having to wade through their propaganda.

1. Vote against any candidate with a child's nickname. No Bobby, Jimmy, etc. False hurdehurhur glad-handingness.

2. Vote against any candidate with a Roman Numeral. Probably not a pronlem in California, but y'all constantly amaze me so I won't assume.

3. Vote against anybody whose name you recognize. If they're the incumbent and your one vote knocks em out, fuck em, they must have sucked.

4. Vote against dumb-ass hyphenated last names.

5. Vote FOR the woman, unless she has some kind of fat chick name like Pat, Tammy, or Crystal.

6. If two women are running against each other, vote for the one who has the more soap opera name.

Now go forth and elect judges.

[Gil Bang 26190]

11 hours ago, Foosters said:

This is the correct answer.  And just fyi, political affiliation, at least in CA, has almost no bearing on what type of judge they will be.

There is no party I.D. here for judges. 

[seven 1368]

15 hours ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Or name recognition.  Can't remember who it was anymore but a couple years ago one judge got elected just because he had the same name as a well-known legislator.

Jeff Johnson, the name you know