Candidate for
Superior Court Judge; County of Orange; Office 4

SUPERIOR COURT COMMISSIONER LYLE ROBERTSON is an Orange County native, born and raised in the City of Laguna Beach. A graduate of Laguna Beach High School, Class of '66, he graduated from Claremont McKenna College with Bachelors of Arts degrees in Anglo, -American Literature and Philosophy. While acquiring a his Master of Arts degree in Literature and Secondary Teaching Credential at California State University, Fullerton, he entered Western State University College of Law, receiving his Juris Doctor 1977.

As a sole practitioner based in Mission Viejo for thirteen years, he was active in the Saddleback Valley Chamber of Commerce, AYSO soccer as a certified referee (twice selected to participate in the Ken Astin Tournament), a member of Sheriff Brad Gates' Sheriff's Advisory Committee, and involved in numerous and varied community and civic events. In 1991, he was selected by the four sitting judges of the South Orange County Municipal Court as Commissioner to assist with the demands on the Court. His assignment included criminal arraignments, pre-trial conferences, felony preliminary examinations, trials (jury and non jury) as well as traffic, small claims and civil cases.

In 1997, the well respected and revered Commissioner Ronald Steelman resigned. For fifteen years, he was assigned all of the traffic, small claims and civil matters, with the judges needed to respond to the burgeoning criminal caseload. Commissioner Robertson was assigned to replace him, with responsibility for the operation of the South Orange County Municipal Court Annex located in Laguna Hills, about eight miles from the main facility in Laguna Niguel. Commissioner Robertson not only presided over all civil cases, from evictions to collections to personal injury and automobile accident cases, presiding over more than thirty jury trials, for the following seven years, but also assimilated the influx of general jurisdiction civil harassment and domestic violence filings brought about by the consolidation of the Municipal Courts with the now unified Superior Court of California in 1998 without an increase of personnel, facilities, or support staff. The Laguna Hills Facility, known for its efficiency and user friendliness as well as for managing more cases per judicial officer for any court in the state with less than ten judges, was honored in 2001 as the top rated of the seven court facilities in Orange County in the areas of Fairness, Effectiveness/Quality, and Timeliness; it ranked third in the fourth major category, Accessibility.

Commissioner Robertson has continued his education and training extensively, and has been privileged to attend all three major conferences regarding Genetics and the Courts; the inaugural program was conducted at the University of California at Berkley, the second in Squaw Valley, both funded by the Einstein Institute for Science, Health, and the Courts, and the most recent conference at the Salk Institute for Biological Research in La Jolla, where he was one of only five of the 135 Orange County Superior Court Judicial Officers to be individually trained in the replication of DNA. He, like all of the participants, split a DNA sample and conducted a polymerase chain reaction, commonly know as PCR, on genetic samples, the same testing that is evaluated in court for identifying or eliminating suspects. As technology develops, it is this kind of education, knowledge, and training that will enable the courts to intelligently differentiate valid scientifically based evidence from untested or speculative junk science.

Since joining the Orange County Superior Court bench, Commissioner Robertson has remained active in the issues facing the courts and the community. He was appointed the charter member of the South Orange County Gang Steering Committee in 1992, was a member of the Court Security Committee for the South Orange County Municipal Court in 1994, served two years on the Executive Committee for the consolidated Orange County Superior Court, was the featured speaker more than once at the Condominium Association Institute in 1993 and 1994, has been the featured speaker at Saddleback College's Crime Symposium on Hate Crimes and the Court has received training and been certified as a Mediator in Alternative Dispute Resolution by the internationally renowned and prestigious, Strauss Institute, Pepperdine College, taught as a member of the Adjunct Faculty at Western State University of Law, and initiated "Trials on Campus", a three year program involving small claims and traffic trials held at various local high school facilities.

Along the way, he has contributed as consultant to the highly acclaimed series of guides provided to all California judicial officers, California Judges Bench Book, credited with contributions to Civil Proceedings + Trial (1997) and Civil Proceedings + After Trial (1998). He continues to be involved as a charter member of the Superior Court Mediation Oversight Committee, and works closely with the collaborative of five non-profit agencies that provide free mediation services to each court. During 2004 + 2005, he served on the Civil / Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee for the California Judges Association, a group which advises the California Legislature on pending legislation affecting the courts, the users of the courts, and substantive as well as procedural areas of the criminal and civil judicial systems.

A Past Master of Saddleback Laguna Lodge #672, F. & A.M., and a former member of the Scottish Rite and Shrine, he met his wife Linda Turner while active in the Chamber of Commerce and various other civic activities. Linda continues to be active in the community of South Orange County; serving as poll inspector, Coordinator of the Republican Party Headquarters for South Orange County in 1994, became Campaign Coordinator for Measure S, the pivotal anti-airport measure that laid the groundwork for Safe and Healthy to defeat once and for all the idea of a commercial airport in South Orange County. Lyle's support and active involvement in this historical grass roots effort earned him the respect and endorsement of Colonel Bill Kogerman, Chairman of Safe and Healthy, and recently appointed to the Board of Directors of The Great Park. He and Linda enjoy their three daughters, and look forward to the weekends with any or all of their four grandchildren. A life long resident of South Orange County, Lyle's dedication and contribution to the residents of Orange County cannot be overlooked. Becoming Superior Court Judge will enable him to continue to work to for our collective benefit. Vote for Commissioner Lyle Robertson for Superior Court Judge!

1998 - Present: Commissioner, Superior Court of California, County of Orange, Harbor Justice Center, Laguna Niguel and Laguna Hills Facilities.
1996 - 2003: Assigned to Harbor Justice Center, Laguna Hills Facility, as Supervising Commissioner. (Position eliminated in 2003) Assigned to the sole civil department in South Orange County, presiding over all limited civil, and responsible for all unlawful detainer, civil court and jury trials, civil law and motion, all civil harassment restraining orders and permanent injunctions, all domestic violence restraining orders, all delay reduction calendars, judgment debtor examinations, and all post judgment proceedings.
1991 - 1998: Commissioner, Municipal Court of California, County of Orange, South Orange Judicial District, Laguna Niguel, California.
1978 - 1991: Sole practitioner, Mission Viejo, CA; Emphasis in real property and homeowner association matters, small business litigation, creditor actions in bankruptcy.
1992 - 1993: Western State University, College of Law, Irvine Campus; Member of Adjunct Faculty.

1974 - 1977: Western State University, College of Law; Fullerton, California; Juris Doctor
1973 - 1976: California State University; Fullerton, California
- Master of Arts, Anglo-American Literature
- Secondary Teaching Credential
1966 - 1970: Claremont McKenna College; Claremont, California
- Bachelor of Arts, Literature
- Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy

State Bar of California (active)
United States Tax Court
United States District Court, Central District of California
United States District Court, Southern District of California