Candidate for
Superior Court Judge; County of Alameda; Office 21

A good trial judge brings experience, integrity and compassion to the position. I believe my background demonstrates all three.

Experience:

I have 23 years of hands-on experience as a litigator and trial lawyer. I have tried cases in a wide variety of civil law areas, including employment, eminent domain, business torts, and civil rights. I volunteered for three months as a Deputy District Attorney to get more jury trial experience and exposure to criminal law. As I have represented police departments for 15 years, I am quite familiar with issues related to law enforcement, including criminal matters, civil rights issues and personnel cases. I have litigated cases on behalf of individual plaintiffs, public entities and private businesses. During my career I practiced as a sole practitioner, a government attorney, and presently work as a partner at Meyers Nave, an 80 attorney firm headquartered in Oakland. My career has been gratifying in large part because of the varied work I've sought out.

Integrity:

My professional colleagues, clients, judges and elected officials respect my integrity and demeanor enough to lend me their names by endorsing my candidacy. I am endorsed by Judges Barbara Miller and Harry Sheppard, the last two Presiding Judges of Alameda County Superior Court, Judges Henry Needham and Robert Freedman, the current and immediate past Assistant Presiding Judges, and a number of other sitting and retired Superior Court Judges. Sheriff Charles Plummer, numerous police chiefs, law enforcement unions, labor organizations, elected officials and attorneys all attest to my evenhanded temperment and straight-forward approach to decision making.

Compassion:

True compassion requires action. I am concerned about crime, particularly violent crimes against women, seniors and children, the most vulnerable members of our community. I volunteered as a Deputy District Attorney to gain experience in criminal law and address this issue. I am concerned about child abuse, neglect and endangerment. I volunteered to take the juvenile dependency assignment at the Office of the County Counsel to learn how to manage this difficult and troubling problem. I am concerned about the juvenile justice system and its impact on disadvantaged youth. Among other things, I serve as a volunteer judge for the McCullum Youth Court, a diversion program for young people convicted of criminal activity. Where I have seen a need, I've tried to educate myself about it and address it. I would follow this same call to action as a judge.

I have lived in Alameda County since 1988 and presently live in Oakland with my husband, Joe. I am proud to call this diverse county my home.