League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Orange County, CA June 3, 2008 Election
	John Nho Trong Nguyen Answers Questions Candidate for Superior Court Judge; County of Orange; Office 25

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Orange County and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. Around the country, we've heard people stress the importance of "a fair and impartial judiciary," How would you define a fair and impartial judge and how would you work to ensure your impartiality?

Since the beginning of my service as a Judge of this County, I have committed everyday to maintaining the highest level of integrity in the courtroom. I am a firm believer that appropriate temperament of our judicial officers is critical to providing a courtroom environment where all parties are given a fair hearing.

Being fair and impartial means, in the simplest terms, to treat everyone the same, to decide the issues strictly based on facts and the law.

A judge holds a unique position in the eyes of the society as the representative of the law. Therefore s/he must not only render actual impartiality and fairness, s/he must not do anything that might cause an appearance of unfairness. To achieve that goal a judge must always be vigilant in avoiding any conduct, gestures, or facial expressions that might cause any appearance of impropriety and diminish the trust of the people in the impartiality of the court.

I am proud that the Board of Governors of the CA State Bar recently appointed me to The Commission on Access to Justice which serves to enhance the dispensation of justice in our courts. Several legal organizations have named me "Judge of The Year," an honor I hope represents my commitment to carrying out my responsibilities on behalf of the people of California.

2. Judges have an obligation to improve public understanding of the role of courts. How should they carry out that obligation?

Judges have the responsibility to maintain the public trust in our Justice system. In the last eight years, I have tried my best to engage in having conversations with different communities of all backgrounds, local churches, universities, colleges about the role of the court and access to justice.

I volunteer my time to mentor law students and give lectures to different Bar educational programs. I also find time to preside over Teens Court, Peers Court, Mock Trial Competitions to impart upon the youngsters of our county and state a positive message and a better understanding about our justice system. I try to encourage them to learn more about the reasons of the law and our precious constitutional principles of individual rights and liberty in view of our needs for order and security in our society.

Often I am called upon to tell the children at elementary, middle and high schools throughout the county about my experiences as a refugee now being a judge. On those occasions, I give the children a message of hope and something to dream about, to chart the course of their own future in the belief in the role of the courts, the system of justice based on the respect for the constitution and law.

Although many people will never step foot into a courtroom, they are likely to have an encounter with an attorney at some point in their lives. That is why I am proud of my role as an adjunct Professor of Law at Orange County's three accredited law schools (Chapman, Western State University and Whittier). The court does not exist by itself. The court is an institution in which the lawyers play a very important part. As I teach and mentor the next generation of attorneys, I explain to my students my expectations that lawyers, being officers of the court, must practice professionally and ethically, that their conduct will reflect not only on their character but also affect the legal profession and the court as well.

3. How do you deal with difficult people, including peers, lawyers, clients or litigants?

In my courtroom, all parties are given a fair hearing. That means,as a judge, I must maintain the temperament conducive to keeping juries prejudice free due to the behavior of a party. When a party is out of order and not maintaining proper courtroom decorum, I find it best to first address it out of the eyes and ears of the jury to not impair what should be an impartial process. In private discussion I give fair warnings and make my expectations of courtroom conduct clearly known. Most of the time, a little bit of understanding and a short time out is very helpful to bring civility back to court proceedings and people back to the issues to be resolved.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Direct references to opponents are not permitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: May 13, 2008 21:44
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