We expect judges to understand public safety issues. We hope they come to the bench with a track record supporting law enforcement and the community. In the June election there’s one open seat without an incumbent seeking re-election.
The obvious choice in Seat No. 25 is clear: Deputy Attorney General Brad Weinreb.
The San Diego County Probation Officers Association well understands how the “Realignment Act” (AB 109) impacts Public Safety. The February 2014 SANDAG report indicated the Act has resulted in one in three offenders being in local jails instead of state prison.
We also have various early or medical parole release plans, drug diversion and alternate sentencing plans with the hopeful goal of reducing the revolving door of recidivism. The relationship between the San Diego County Probation Department and the courts is incredibly important because many of these criminals will be released into our community and under the supervision of our officers sooner than ever before.
We need judges who understand how these changes impact Public Safety. Brad Weinreb will be one of those kinds of judges.
Brad Weinreb has been a Deputy Attorney General and state prosecutor here in San Diego who has spent almost 25 years making sure criminals remain in prison or off our streets.
He has prosecuted significant cases used by courts and prosecutors throughout California: the case upholding lifetime civil commitments for sexually violent predators, the first California case to uphold a sexual molest victims right to have a courthouse dog accompany them to the witness stand, the case that helps prosecute animal abuse and neglect, the first case to uphold a prison term for hazardous waste dumping, and decisions that help law enforcement to track registered sex offenders.
He’s an expert on “Jessica’s Law” and Human Trafficking and teaches law enforcement and prosecutors about constitutional rights of crime victims under “Marsy’s Law.” His dedication to crime victims and Public Safety resulted in Brad being recognized as one of the “Top 100” Attorneys in California in 2010.
Our opinion that Brad Weinreb is the best candidate for seat No. 25 is shared by others. The San Diego County Bar Association thoroughly evaluated candidates and their reputations and considered the input of judges and members of the legal community.
His opponents were deemed “lacking qualifications” to be a judge, but he was rated “qualified” (with the coveted “highly qualified” rating going to incumbent judges). Dozens of Superior Court Judges endorse him as the kind of colleague they’d like on the bench.
The San Diego Deputy District Attorneys Association, the Lawyers Club of San Diego and the La Raza Lawyers Association also endorse him. In addition to the legal community, Brad Weinreb has the support of Crime Victims United, San Diegans Against Crime, other law enforcement associations like the San Diego Black Police Officers Association, the San Diego District Attorneys Investigators Association and the San Diego Chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police.
He also has support from respected Public Safety leaders like Sheriff Bill Gore and San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith.
There’s another factor that makes him different and we sometimes overlook it when we think about judicial candidates. Integrity and Ethics. Brad Weinreb investigated and prosecuted judicial misconduct cases for the Commission on Judicial
Performance, giving him keen appreciation for judicial temperament, objectivity, fairness and ethical conduct of judges both on and off the bench.
We believe that’s important. So does Sheriff Bill Gore who said, “As a prosecutor Brad keeps violent criminals and child predators off the streets. Just as important, Brad’s fair-minded with the character and integrity expected from our judges.” We hope you agree June 3. Because Brad Weinreb is the clear Public Safety choice for San Diego County Superior Court Judge.
Ernie Susi is president of the San Diego County Probation Officers Association
1 comment
The 3400 member Deputy Sheriffs Association, the largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers of its kind south of Los Angeles, and an organization that actually has members that have appeared before Judge Pro-Tem Ken Gosselin, have endorsed Mr. Gosselin for Judge.
His opponent has taken great strides to try and discredit Gosselin, even going so far as to say some of his claims of education and training are false or exaggerated. This is completely untrue.
The “establishment” and downtown elite feel entitled to the the bench merely because they are or have been a prosecutor. However, some of the greatest judges to take the bench did not come up through the usual course of being “annointed” by establishment leaders, including legal associations that can and have been politically influenced.
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