The Desirable Qualities of a Judge.

By Rocky L. Crabb

The expectations of the community for the Judges of Los Angeles County include fairness, common sense, courage, patience, experience, skill, toughness, hard work, and the ability to get the job done.

It is the goal of our court to provide fairness, respect and dignity to the people who come before it. We strive to provide equal physical and procedural access to the court, so that all may have the opportunity to seek justice.

The community rightly expects our judges and commissioners to be of the highest caliber and quality, and we work hard everyday to fulfill that expectation. The ratio of judges to commissioners in Los Angeles County is roughly three judges to every one commissioner. Commissioners do essentially the same job as a judge, with very limited exception. The expectation of quality and commitment from commissioners is the same as is expected of judges. I currently serve as a court commissioner and ask to be elected to the position of judge.

The community also expects that its judges and commissioners will have broad legal and life experience. If a judge is to be versatile and useful to the court and community, is it not desirable that the candidate have broad legal and life experience?

I was elected by the judges of the Los Angeles Superior Court to the position of commissioner in 2005, and since that time have worked hard to fulfill and exceed those expectations. I believe that I was elected only after I had established a 25 year reputation as a hard-working, fair, ethical and knowledgeable attorney with a certain amount of common sense.

Many apply to become court commissioners, but few are chosen. Now that I have been on the bench for over 2 years, I can say with humility that I have again worked successfully to fulfill the expectations that the community and the court has had for me.

Initially I was assigned to a traffic trial and arraignment court also hearing small claims appeals. In this high volume court assignment I had the opportunity to preside over hundreds of trials where citizens and police officers were the usual parties. It was my pleasure to handle those cases in a way that both sides, win or lose, generally believed that they had experienced a fair trial and "their day in court." Firmness, patience, and fairness were the qualities that made that possible.

For the past two years, I have presided over a general family law court, also handling Domestic Violence Prevention Act Cases. I have preside over more than 7,300 hearings and trials in these cases. They are often complex, and many have the additional emotional element that makes them even more challenging.

I am often confronted with issues of violence and restraining orders, custody and visitation, financial and support issues, medical issues, business partnership and corporation division, property characterization and division, debt allocation, accounting issues, and contempt. Once again, I am proud to say that in the substantial majority of these case, the parties and their attorneys leave the court, win or lose, with the belief that they have had a fair hearing and that justice is done.

I have performed my duties as a commissioner, using the broad life experience and legal skills that have come to me over my many years working in our justice system. Being "tough but fair," and having the courage to make sometimes difficult decisions, with common sense and compassion, is the hallmark of a good judge as well as a good commissioner. The judges that have worked with me indicate that I have the desirable qualities of a judge, and I am honored to have their confidence and encouragement.