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E-mail StoryJudicial candidates discuss state of courts at forum
| Tuesday, May 13 2008 10:08 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, May 14 2008 7:33 AM
Candidates running for Kern County Superior Court judge discussed the problem of crowded courtrooms, the importance of maintaining an even judicial temperament and their own virtues and experience at a public forum held Tuesday evening at the Beale Memorial Library in downtown Bakersfield.
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Nine Kern County residents have declared their intention to run as candidates for two open judgeships in Kern County Superior Court. One of the nine has been disqualified.
Six are vying for the position held by Judge Clarence Westra Jr. Two remain in the race for the seat held by Judge H.A. “Skip” Staley.
Neither Westra nor Staley have stated their intention to run for re-election, effectively signaling their retirement.
The six vying for Westra’s position are:
- Matt Brady
- Charles “Chip” Brehmer, 41 — attorney in Kern County for more than 15 years
- Frank Butkiewicz
- Michael R. Gardina
- Tony Heider — Kern County chief assistant public defender
- Holly N. Mitchell — Kern County deputy district attorney
The two running for Staley’s seat are:
- Larry Errea, 62 — attorney in Bakersfield for some 30 years before he became a commissioner for Kern County Superior Court
- Olaf Landsgaard
Judges serve six-year terms and are paid $171,648 a year.
Photos:
Olaf Landsgaard is pictured in this February 2002 file photo.
Larry Errea is a Kern County Superior Court commissioner elected Kern County Superior Court judge.
Matt Brady is a Bakersfield attorney running for Kern County Superior Court Judge.
Tony Heider is a Kern County Deputy Public Defender and a candidate for the Kern County Superior Court Judge.
Charles R. Brehmer is a Bakersfield attorney running for Kern County Superior Court judge.
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Organized by the Kern County Bar Association and its charitable foundation, the event featured eight candidates running for two open judgeships on the June 3 ballot.
About 60 people attended, including members of the legal community, students and other interested local residents.
Six of the candidates are vying for the position held by Judge Clarence Westra. They are Frank Butkiewicz, Charles “Chip” Brehmer, Matt Brady, Holly Mitchell, Tony Heider and Michael Gardina.
Two remaining candidates — Larry Errea and Olaf Landsgaard — are competing for the position held by Judge H.A. “Skip” Staley. Westra and Staley are slated to retire at the end of the year.
During the first half of the forum, the candidates took questions from event organizers. During the second half, the questions came from the audience.
They each spoke about their history of community service, from coaching youth soccer to being involved as volunteers in local academic competitions such as Mock Trial.
Many spoke about the need for judges to be patient and respectful of people who come into their courtrooms. Firmness and efficiency were also cited as needed virtues for judicial officers.
Gardina, who in recent months has been fighting an inquiry by a local judge into his conduct in the courtroom, said he could bring a unique perspective to the post because he has “suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous judicial temperament in the past.”
Some cited political endorsements; others personal endorsements.
Virtually all agreed that the court is currently suffering from overcrowded courtrooms and too few judges.