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LWV League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
San Diego County, CA March 2, 2004 Election
Smart Voter Full Biography for Robert C. Coates

Candidate for
Superior Court Judge; County of San Diego; Office 8

This information is provided by the candidate

ROBERT C. COATES Judge, San Diego Superior Court 220 West Broadway San Diego, California 92101 (619) 531-3026

COURT ASSIGNMENTS:

Criminal Division, Department 45
Clerk: Judy Stenberg
Bailiff: Mike Cepe
Present Assignment: General Trials, Preliminary Hearings, Arraignments
Member, Superior Court Facilities/Master Plan and Public Information Committees,
Delegate, Serial Inebriate Committee; Justice Systems Chair, 1999 County Government
Drug Summit; Member, Executive Committee, Methamphetamine Task Force;
1996-2000 Substance Abuse Chair, SDMC, 1997-1998 and Chair, DUI Assessment
and Monitoring Unit Project, 1997-2000; Member, Youth Access to Alcohol Policy
Panel; 1996-2000 Presiding Civil Division Judge, San Diego Municipal
Court, 1988-89, 1993-1994; Chair, San Diego County Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Prevention Task Force, 1996

SERVICE: USNR Seabees Reserves, 1955-63, SOG3

HOBBIES: Swimming, hiking, camping, gemstones, writing

EDUCATION: 1970 Juris Doctor, California Western School of Law 1959 Bachelor of Science, Engineering Geology, San Diego State University

Candidate, Master of Business Administration, National University

EMPLOYMENT/EXPERIENCE: 1982 - Present Judge, Municipal and Superior Courts, San Diego 1981 - 1995 Occasional Adjunct Professor, University of San Diego and Western State

(Thomas Jefferson) University Schools of Law (Environmental Law, Poverty
Law, Trial Practice)
1984 - 1987 Environmental and Natural Resources Law Forum Director, University of San Diego
School of Law
1971 - 1982 Partner, Coates & Miller, Attorneys, San Diego, California: Thirteen-attorney law firm
emphasizing litigation, mental health, resources and environmental law.
1964, 1966 Nominee, 78th State Assembly District, California 1961 - 1963 Administrative Analyst, Manager's Staff, City of San Diego 1959 - 1961 Junior Civil Engineer - Construction Inspector/Design/Administrator, Engineering
Department, City of San Diego

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS: 2003 President, Mission Valley Rotary Club 2002 - 2003 Member, Burnham Cancer Institute Advisory Board 1999 + 2003 Member, Interfaith Shelter Network Board 1988 - 2003 Chair, Rotary/Scripps Institution of Oceanography's Committee for Public

Education on Global Change
2001 - 2003 Secretary, Ex. Comm., 19,000 Member San Diego Chapter, Sierra Club 1981 - 2001 Law Teachers Committee, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation 1996 - 1998 Scoutmaster, Troop 4, La Jolla; Institutional Rep., Troop 448, BSA 1995 - 1998 Chair, Veteran Scouters of San Diego 1986 - 1996 Board Chair, Trustee, San Diego County Public Law Library 1989 - 1990 First Vice President, Trustee, San Diego Natural History Museum 1989 Founding Chair, Friends of San Diego City Parks & Recreation Foundation 1992, 1993 Chair, Rotary District Committee, "Preserve Planet Earth" 1988 - 1989 Chair, Ecology Center Small Parks Committee 1986 Founding Chair, San Diego County Council of Environmental Organization 1985 - 1989 Founding President, San Diego State Geology Dept. Alumni Association 1985 - 1986 Director, San Diego County Judges Association 1985 - 1987 Chair, Varsity Scouting, San Diego County Council, BSA 1985, 1986 President, San Diego Ecology Centre 1984 - 1991 Executive Board Member, San Diego County Council, BSA 1984, 1985, 2001 President, San Diego Eagle Scout Alumni Association 1980 - 1982 Director/Officer, San Diego Trial Lawyers Association 1979 Board Chair, San Diego Mental Health Foundation 1977, 1978 President, San Diego Mental Health Association 1974, 1975 President, Democratic Professional Club 1969 Justice, Beaumont Chapter, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity

MEMBERSHIPS: Mission Valley Rotary Club, American Geological Institute, Anza-Borrego Historical Society, The Baja Group, Delta Sigma Phi, The City Club, E. Clampus Vitus, Mensa, San Diego Natural History Museum, SDSU Geology Alumni, Sierra Club, St. Stephens Church of God in Christ, Theodore Roosevelt Assn., Torrey Pines Association, SD Psychology & Law Society

PUBLICATIONS: A STREET IS NOT A HOME: Solving America's Homeless Dilemma (book, 1990)

The Guys Who Can't Cook's Cookbook (1994), Ships Crossing at the Dead of
Night (poetry, 1984), Breakthroughs for the Homeless + Father Joe Carroll's
Challenge to America (in process)
  • Trustees of the Justice System: Quasi-Judicial Activity and the Failure of the 1990 ABA Model Code of Judicial Conduct 617 USD L. Rev 647 (1994)
  • Legal Rights of Homeless Americans. 297 USF L. Rev 361 (1990)
  • Asserting Mineral Rights Against the U.S. Government in Federal Court 337 C. W. L. Rev. 390 (1984)

PUBLICATIONS:
  • Earhart v. Wm. Low Co. California Reassesses the Definition of Quasi-Contractual Relations 422 C. W. L. Rev. 437 ( 1980)
  • Nearly completed book with co-author Father Joe Carroll: Father Joe's Challenge to America (the story of Father Joe & St. Vincent de Paul Villages)
  • Dozens of articles in legal publications, including DICTA, Cal. Judges Association's The Bench, CTLA Forum Magazine, Trial Bar News, L.A. Daily Journal, San Diego Union-Tribune

HONORS: 2003 Community Service Award, San Diego County Judges Association 2002 It Takes a Community Award, SD Mental Health Association/New Path 2002 Volunteer of the Month, San Diego Chapter, Sierra Club 2002 Kalt Community Service Award, Rotary 1999 Humanitarian Award of the Year, Coalition for the Homeless 1998 God and Country Award, BSA 1997 Award of Excellence, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego 1995 Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary International 1991 Warren Williams Award, American & California Psychiatric Associations 1991 Distinguished Service, Rotary ("Preserve Planet Earth") 1991 One of Ten San Diego "Citizens of the Year," City Club 1990 Frank Curran Humanitarian of the Year, Central City Assn. of San Diego 1988 Honorary Juris Doctor, Western State University College of Law 1987 Silver Beaver Award, BSA 1986 President's Award, San Diego Trial Lawyers Association 1984 Baylor Brooks Distinguished Geology Graduate, SDSU 1984 Community Service Award, San Diego Housing Commission 1982 Founder's Recognition, The Crime Victim's Fund 1982 Poetry First Prize, San Diego Writers & Editors Guild 1978 Co-Volunteer of the Year, San Diego Mental Health Association 1974 Certified to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court 1970 Key to the City of Coronado (for "public courage") 1967 Water Safety Award (lifesaving, three persons), American Red Cross 1962 National Sierra Club Campership of the Year + "to a young person likely to make a significant lifetime contribution to the cause of conservation" (Grand Canyon raft trip) 1959 Distinguished Graduate, San Diego State University 1954 Most Valuable Baseball Player, La Jolla High School 1954 Eagle Scout

CLIMBS: Piacho del Diablo, Whitney, Banner, Le Conte, Taboose Pass, Shaeffer Peak, the

Tooth of Time, Quing Chang Shan, across Grand Canyon

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: February 23, 2004 10:17
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