2004 Endorsements

2004 Endorsements: Law Enforcement & Public Safety Organizations

Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS)
California Association of Highway Patrolmen (CAHP)
Los Angeles County Firefighters, Local 1014, representing Professional Firefighters in 57 cities and the County of Los Angeles
Los Angeles County Police Chiefs Association
Los Angeles Police Command Officers Association (COA)
Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL)
Los Angeles Sheriffs Professional Association (LASPA)
National Latino Peace Officers Association (NLPOA)
Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC)
Professional Peace Officer's Association (PPOA)
United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, Local 112 (UFLAC)
Gardena Police Officers Association
Hermosa Beach Police Officers Association
Inglewood Police Association
Long Beach Police Officers Association (LBPOA)
Long Beach Firefighters Association, Local 372
Redondo Beach Police Officers Association
Torrance Police Officers Association
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2004 Endorsements: Public Officials

George Deukmejian, 35th Governor of California
John K. Van De Kamp, 28th Attorney General of California, 36th District Attorney of Los Angeles County
Vice Chairman Claude Parrish, California State Board of Equalization, District 3
Senator Bob Margett, R-Diamond Bar, Senate District 29
Assembly Member George Nakano, D-Torrance, Assembly District 53
Assembly Member Robert "Bob" Pacheco, R-City of Industry, Assembly District 60
Assembly Member Keith Richman, R-San Fernando Valley, Assembly District 38
Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, Fifth District, County of Los Angeles
Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, Chair of the Board, Second District, County of Los Angeles
Supervisor Don Knabe, Fourth District, County of Los Angeles
Mayor Pro Tem Gerard Bisignano, City of Redondo Beach and Councilmember, First District, City of Redondo Beach
Former Mayor Lara Larramendi Blakely, City of Monrovia
Former Mayor Barbara Ferraro, City of Rancho Palos Verdes
Mayor Peter C. Gardiner, Ph.D., City of Rancho Palos Verdes
Mayor Greg Hill, City of Redondo Beach
Mayor Pro Tem Cameron Smyth, City of Santa Clarita
Mayor Pro Tem Paul K. Tanaka, City of Gardena (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Chief of Administrative Services Division*)
Mayor Terrence S. Terauchi, City of Gardena
Mayor Art Yoon, City of Hermosa
Janice Hahn, Councilmember, Fifteenth District, City of Los Angeles
Jan Perry, Councilmember, Ninth District, City of Los Angeles
Greig Smith, Councilmember, Twelfth District, City of Los Angeles
Dennis P. Zine, Councilmember, Third District, City of Los Angeles
James R. Bozajian, Councilmember and Former Mayor, City of Calabasas
Curren D. Price, Jr., Councilmember, First District, City of Inglewood
Dennis W. Carroll, Former Councilmember, Fourth District, City of Long Beach
Bonnie Lowenthal, Councilmember, First District, City of Long Beach
Steve Wolowicz, Councilmember, City of Rancho Palos Verdes
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2004 Endorsements: Law Enforcement Public Officials

Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy D. Baca
Orange County Sheriff Michael Carona
District Attorney Steve Cooley, County of Los Angeles
Robert Philibosian, 37th District Attorney of Los Angeles County
John K. Van De Kamp, 36th District Attorney of Los Angeles County, 28th Attorney General of California (also listed in the Public Officials section)
Chief of Police James D. Herren, Torrance Police Department
Greg M. Augusta, California Highway Patrol, Assistant Commissioner, Staff*
Christian Blankenhorn, Deputy City Prosecutor, City of Pasadena
Kenneth Meersand, City Prosecutor, City of Hermosa Beach
Tom Reeves, City Prosecutor, City of Long Beach
Robert E. Shannon, City Attorney, City of Long Beach
Glen Shishido, City Attorney, City of Hawthorne
Michael W. Webb, City Prosecutor, City of Redondo Beach
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2004 Endorsements: Professional Associations, Organizations & Unions

Association of Deputy District Attorneys (ADDA)
Building and Construction Trades Council of Los Angeles and Orange Counties
Crime Victims United of California (CVUC)
Los Angeles County Republican Party
Republican Jewish Coalition of Southern California
Teamsters Joint Council 42
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2004 Endorsements: Judges & Commissioners (Partial List)

Hon. Armand Arabian - California Supreme Court Justice (Retired)
Hon. Paul Turner - California Court of Appeals, 2nd District, Presiding Justice, Division 5
Hon. Fred Woods - California Court of Appeals, 2nd District, Presiding Justice, Division 7
Hon. Paul H. Coffee - California Court of Appeals, 2nd District, Associate Justice, Division 6
Hon. Steven Z. Perren - California Court of Appeals, 2nd District, Associate Justice, Division 6
Hon. David W. Perkins - Site Supervising Judge, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Downey Courthouse
Hon. David S. Wesley - Supervising Judge Criminal Law, Los Angeles County Superior Court
Hon. Jacob Adajian - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Long Beach
Hon. Kenneth Lee Chotiner - Los Angeles County Superior Court (Retired)
Hon. Lawrence W. Crispo - Los Angeles County Superior Court (Retired)
Hon. Laura C. Ellison - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Torrance
Hon. Rodney G. Forneret - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Inglewood
Hon. Ray L. Hart - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Los Angeles
Hon. Robert Hight - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Torrance
Hon. Steven E. Hintz - Ventura County Superior Court, Ventura Courthouse
Hon. Marlene A. Kristovich - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Compton
Hon. John D. Lord - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Long Beach
Hon. Kenji Machida - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Inglewood
Hon. Jean Matusinka, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Torrance
Hon. John Vernon Meigs - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Inglewood
Hon. Cecil J. Mills - Los Angeles County Superior Court (Retired)
Hon. Vincent H. Okamoto - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Inglewood
Hon. Morton Rochman - Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, Sylmar
Hon. Jesse I. Rodriguez - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Torrance
Hon. Darlene Schempp - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Van Nuys
Hon. Charles D. Sheldon - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Long Beach
Hon. Sandra A. Thompson - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Torrance
Hon. Michael P. Vicencia - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Torrance
Commissioner Robert P. Applegate - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Burbank
Commissioner Robert B. Axel, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Norwalk
Commissioner Burt Barnett, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Downey
Commissioner Douglas G. Carnahan, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Torrance
Commissioner James Copelan - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Metro Division
Commissioner Ross Klein - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Downey
Commissioner John Ladner - Los Angeles County Superior Court (Retired)
Commissioner Roberta Lee - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Central Civil West Courthouse
Commissioner Brad Miles Fox, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Torrance
Commissioner John A. Slawson - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Torrance
Commissioner H. M. Webster - Los Angeles County Superior Court, Central Civil West Courthouse
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2004 Endorsements: Law Professors

• Robert Bir, Assistant Professor at Pacific Coast University School of Law, and Sole Practitioner

• Carol Chase, Professor at Pepperdine University School of Law

• Rondee Eagle, Assistant Professor at Pacific Coast University School of Law

• Steven Paul Giedzinski, Assistant Professor at Pacific Coast University School of Law, and Los Angeles County Deputy Public Defender

• William Lewis, Dean & Professor at Pacific Coast University School of Law, Manager State Fund Workers Compensation Firm

• Andrea Lua, Assistant Dean & Professor at Pacific Coast University School of Law, and Los Angeles County Deputy Public Defender

• Richard Lynn, Dean & Professor at Pepperdine University School of Law

• Nancy McGinnis, Assistant Dean, Public Affairs, Pepperdine University School of Law

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2004 Endorsements: Community Leaders & Citizens (Partial List)

• Claire Ambrosio, Italian American Lawyers Association's Past President*

• Leslie Bernstein, Senior Associate Dean and Professor, USC Keck School of Medicine*

• Raymond L. Cordova, Chair, South County Labor (affiliated with the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO)*

• Laura L. Doud, CPA, Controller

• David H. Fell, CEO

• Rickey M. Gelb, Director of Corporate Affairs, Gelb Enterprises

• Florence Gold, 2002 Presidential Electorate College Representative, Rehabilitation Supervisor, Kaiser Permanente*

• Rabbi Lawrence J. Goldmark, D.D., Temple Beth Ohr, La Mirada*

• Mitzie Hackbarth-Kryszan, Hospice Director, Kaiser Permanente*

• Bruce Herschensohn, Political Commentator, Author, Professor at Pepperdine University School of Law*

• Dolores M. Holguin, M.P.A., Member, Board of Directors, Valley County Water District*

• Wendie Johnston, Ph.D., Director, Biological Technology Program, Pasadena City College*

• Tom Knoll, Mortgage Broker, Knoll Financial, Inc.

• Anthony Molino, Esq., Lieutenant Governor, Kawanis Club, Division 19*

• Phillip Michael Scuderi, Italian American Lawyers Association's Current President*

• Steve Shorr of Steve Shorr Insurance*

• Shawn Steel, Immediate Past Chairman, California Republican Party

• Nedra Zachary, President, Loren L. Zachary Society for Performing Arts*

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2004 Endorsements: Attorneys At Law Firms (Partial List)

• Lee K. Alpert, Attorney at Law, Alpert & Barr

• Amy Ardell, Attorney at Law

• Simon Aval, Attorney At Law, Law Offices of John A. McDonald

• George Bird, Attorney At Law, Law Firm of Bird & Bird

• Daniel F. Brookman, Attorney at Law

• Thomas Byrne, Attorney At Law

• Darcy Calkins, Attorney At Law

• Carey Caruso, Attorney At Law

• Seymour I. Cohen, Attorney At Law, Seymour I. Cohen Law Corporation

• Austin R. Dove, Attorney At Law, Raynor & Dove, LLP

• Robert S. Ernenwein, Attorney At Law, Law Offices of McGregor & Ernenwein

• Charles Frisco, Attorney At Law

• Larry Frumes, Attorney At Law

• Jason S. Ginsberg, Attorney At Law, Pearlman, Borska & Wax, LLP

• Jeffrey Gray, Attorney At Law

• Baldo Kristovich, Attorney at Law

• Ken Marks, Attorney at Law

• John A. McDonald, Attorney At Law, Law Offices of John A. McDonald

• Bruce B. McGregor, Attorney At Law, Law Offices of McGregor & Ernenwein

• Steve Meister, Attorney At Law, Law Offices of Mark Werksman

• Michelle S. L. Michaels, Attorney At Law, Law Offices of Mark Werksman

• James Pardoe, Attorney At Law, Law Offices of Pardoe & Associates

• Mark Rafferty, Attorney At Law, Law Offices of Owen P. Rafferty

• Gene H. Shioda, Attorney At Law, The Law Office of Gene H. Shioda

• Donald Sowers, Attorney At Law, Takakjian, Sowers & Sitkoff, LLP

• Mark J. Werksman, Attorney At Law, Law Offices of Mark Werksman

• David Yamada, Attorney at Law

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2004 Endorsements: Publications

• Metropolitan News-Enterprise

  Metropolitan News-Enterprise re-endorses Criminal Prosecutor Judy Levey Meyer for Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, Office 69. This endorsement is significant, especially since this Los Angeles daily newspaper focuses largely on law and the courts.  Founded in 1901, Metropolitan News-Enterprise also publishes the Rules of Court of the State of California, as well as Los Angeles County and other major California counties.

  In their Thursday, October 14, 2004 editorial, Five Endorsed For Superior Court, they state:

  "We endorsed Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Judith Levey Meyer when she was a candidate in the primary. We discerned then, as we do now, special qualities possessed by this candidate which render her right for the job.

  Able and fair-minded, Meyer is a respected prosecutor.

  . . . Meyer’s verve, commitment and astuteness are such that we foresee judicial service on [Meyer's] part of the highest caliber, and therefore unhesitatingly 're-endorse' her."

• San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Whittier Daily News, Pasadena Star News

  In their Thursday, October 14, 2004 editions, all three publications agree and once again unanimously endorse Criminal Prosecutor Judy Levey Meyer for Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, Office 69:

  "In a tough race of five candidates, only two remain. And the top vote-getter, Judith Levey Meyer, was also our choice in March for the job. We stand by our recommendation and urge voters to cast their votes once again for Meyer.

  Meyer has accumulated accolades as a prosecutor in the Torrance office of the District Attorney. Her experience, knowledge of the law and ability earned her the highest rating of 'well qualified' from the county Bar. Recently, she gained conviction of a 'three- strikes' rapist who was handed a sentence of 100 years to life.

  On the other hand, her opponent, Donna Groman, herself a commissioner in Inglewood Juvenile Court, has a reputation of being soft on crime, according to her opponent and Rick De La Sota, head deputy of juvenile operations. De La Sota said Groman's experience is in dependency court and not in criminal courts. He said on two occasions, she has handed down soft sentences, even allowing defendants to be released who committed new crimes.

  We join with D.A. Steve Cooley, who said Meyer 'would be a tremendous asset to the judicial system' in endorsing Judith Levey Meyer for Superior Court Judge."

• Torrance Daily Breeze

  In their Thursday, October 14, 2004 edition, the Daily Breeze gives their re-endorsement to Criminal Prosecutor Judy Levey Meyer for Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, Office 69:

  "We again endorse prosecutor Judy Levey Meyer, who has spent a decade specializing in prosecuting sex crime offenders. Meyer is in a runoff against Superior Court Commissioner Donna Groman.

  Meyer has worked in the D.A.'s Office in Torrance and has the support of many leaders in the South Bay, as well as police officers associations in Torrance, Gardena and Redondo Beach. Having also served as a temporary judge, Meyer has demonstrated the drive and determination to be a successful jurist."

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2004 Quotes & Endorsement Letter Excerpts

• "Judy's education, dedication and experience have prepared her to serve on the Superior Court. The citizens deserve judges of the highest caliber and Judy clearly has the qualifications to provide exemplary service to the public."

George Deukmejian, 35th Governor of California

• "Los Angeles will be safer with you on the bench."

Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy D. Baca

• "She exhibits a high degree of energy toward her work, compassion for the victims of serious crimes, and an absolutely unimpeachable ethical standard that will serve her well as a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge."

Torrance Chief of Police James D. Herren

• "You clearly possess all of the qualities necessary to be an effective bench officer and predictably would be a tremendous asset to the judicial system."

Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley

• ". . . Meyer’s verve, commitment and astuteness are such that we foresee judicial service on her part of the highest caliber, and therefore unhesitatingly re-endorse her."

  Metropolitan News-Enterprise
  October 14, 2004

  Deputy District Attorney Judith Levey Meyer "has an unmistakable aptitude for judicial service."

Metropolitan News-Enterprise
March 1, 2004

• " We believe that you will effectively balance the need for due process with the need for justice for the far too many members of society who become victims. Your compassion, integrity and common sense will serve you and the people of the State of California well."

National Latino Peace Officers Association (NLPOA)

• "You clearly possess all of the qualities to be an effective bench officer. Your reputation as ethical, courteous and respectful is unchallenged throughout the legal and law enforcement community."

Sgt. Tom Eskridge, President
Redondo Beach Police Officers Association

• "Your record of conscientious achievement as a lawyer warrants your election to the superior court. We need your work ethic and legal knowledge on the superior court."

Presiding Justice Paul Turner,
California Court of Appeals
2nd District, Division 5

• "We are confident that your integrity, judgment and clear grasp of issues will best embody those of our members and of your constituents."

Patrick Gomez, President
Professional Police Officers Association (PPOA)
representing Over 6,000
Los Angeles County Law Enforcement Professionals

• "We believe that your education, experience, work ethic and balanced understanding of criminal law make you well qualified to serve as a Superior Court Judge."

Los Angeles Police Command Officers Association

• "Your uncommon level of fairness displayed to all of those who come before the criminal justice system and a mutual desire to remove from our streets, those who would violate our laws, more than qualifies you for this endorsement."

Loyd Waters, President
Inglewood Police Association

• "We again endorse prosecutor Judy Levey Meyer, who has spent a decade specializing in prosecuting sex crime offenders.

Daily Breeze
October 14, 2004

• "Our endorsement [for Office Number 69] goes to Levey Meyer." The Daily Breeze is "impressed with Levey Meyer's drive and enthusiasm. She has endorsements from police officers associations in Torrance, Gardena and Redondo Beach."

Daily Breeze
February 19, 2004

• "On behalf of the Executive Board and the nearly 3,000 members of the Los Angeles County Firefighters Local 1014, I am pleased to convey our endorsement for your candidacy of Superior Court Judge, Seat #69."

Dave Gillote, President
Los Angeles County Firefighters Local 1014,
representing Professional Firefighters in 57 cities
and the County of Los Angeles

• "On behalf of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, the largest association of deputy sheriffs and district attorney investigators in the United States, currently representing over 7,000 sworn law enforcement officers, we are pleased to recommend Judith Levey Meyer for an appointment to the Los Angeles Superior Court."

Roy L. Burns, President
Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS)

• For Office No. 69, "Meyer is the clear favorite, with 10 years as a prosecutor and a strong reputation among judicial circles."

Long Beach Press Telegram

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Please note that all asterisks (*) indicate that the title is being used for identification purposes only.