CONTACT: Karen Korr Communications Director 619-321-4116 619-944-0560 (cell) kkorr@sdcba.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SAN DIEGO COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION REPORTS RATINGS FOR JUDICIAL CANDIDATES IN JUNE PRIMARY ELECTION SAN DIEGO (May 9, 2012) -- The San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA) today announced its ratings for seven candidates seeking judicial positions for San Diego Superior Court in the June 5 primary election. The SDCBA rates judicial candidates as a service to the public, as there is often little information about candidates available publicly. Each candidate's rating is determined by the SDCBA's Judicial Election Evaluation Committee (JEEC), an independent standing committee of the SDCBA, after a thorough investigation process. The JEEC does not compare opposing candidates in a particular contested race, or endorse or oppose the election of specific candidates, but evaluates each candidate on his or her own individual merit. The JEEC process is similar to the process utilized by the state of California's Judicial Nomination Evaluation (JNE) Commission, which reviews and rates applicants who have submitted an application for a judicial appointment by the Governor. "It is important that San Diego voters make informed decisions when electing judicial officers," said Marvin Mizell, SDCBA President. "Attorneys have particular knowledge of our justice system, and through our very thorough evaluation process, we aim to provide meaningful information on each candidate, as a service to assist voters in San Diego." The JEEC evaluates candidates on their qualifications to serve as judicial officers based on the following factors: judicial temperament, intellect and ability, knowledge of the law, trial experience, professional reputation, industry and work habits, decisiveness, fairness and objectivity, courtesy and patience, humor and perspective, judgment and common sense, compassion and understanding, integrity and honesty, administrative ability, community respect, physical and mental health, courage, writing and research skills and any other factor that might affect the candidate's ability to serve as a judge. The Committee may also consider in the evaluation process any violation of the Judicial Election Campaign Code of Ethics. If a candidate had been evaluated by the JEEC in a prior election, the committee also was able to consider the earlier rating in conjunction with its current evaluation. -more- 1333 Seventh Avenue ? San Diego, CA 92101 Phone 619.231.0781 ? Fax 619.338.0042 ? www.sdcba.org The possible ratings as adopted and applied to each candidate are : Well Qualified: Possessing professional ability, experience, competence, integrity and temperament indicating exceptional ability to perform the judicial function with a high degree of skill and effectiveness. Qualified: Possessing professional ability, experience, competence, integrity and temperament indicating satisfactory ability to perform the judicial function. Lacking Qualifications: Lacking one or more of the essential abilities or skills to satisfactorily perform the judicial function. The SDCBA's 2012 Judicial Candidate Ratings are as follows: Robert Amador David Berry Gary Kreep James Miller, Jr. Garland Peed Terrie Roberts George Schaefer Well Qualified Qualified Lacking Qualifications Lacking Qualifications Well Qualified Well Qualified Well Qualified The JEEC was first established in 1978 and is comprised of 21 members who represent a cross-section of San Diego's legal community by gender and ethnicity, including lawyers from the public and private sectors, civil and criminal law practitioners, corporate counsel, sole practitioners and members of small, medium and large firms. JEEC members are appointed by the SDCBA President and serve a four year term. In determining candidate ratings, the JEEC follows a detailed and confidential evaluation process, in accordance with the committee's longstanding and preset rules, and actively seeks information on each candidate from a wide variety of sources. This includes soliciting information from members of the legal community and gathering information directly from each candidate. Candidates may elect not to participate in the JEEC's evaluation process, however, the JEEC may still evaluate the candidate if enough information is available to the committee. A copy of the JEEC's rules is available upon request. Founded in 1899 and over 10,000 members strong, the San Diego County Bar Association is the region's oldest and largest law-related organization, and is headquartered in downtown San Diego. ###