Candidate for
Judge of the Superior Court; County of Riverside; Office 21

Career Highlights For the past 19-years, Senior Deputy District Attorney Raquel Marquez has dedicated her legal career to serving the People of Riverside County as a prosecutor in the District Attorney's Office. During the early part of her career, Raquel was assigned to do trial work. In this capacity, Raquel prosecuted thousands of felony and misdemeanor cases involving domestic violence, robbery, drugs and other serious and violent crimes. Though she practiced in courthouses throughout Western Riverside County, much of her time was spent at the Perris courthouse, which was well known in the legal community for its MASH-like qualities. Housed in what was an old school house and dilapidated mobile office units, the Perris Courthouse was well known for having no metal detectors, enormous caseloads, the most serious and violent cases and unimaginable work hours. But it was in Perris that Raquel learned to prosecute cases and made some of her most valued memories working alongside many esteemed colleagues that now serve on the bench, or have since retired. For her misdemeanor jury trial work, Raquel was awarded Misdemeanor Deputy of the Year. She later became a trial-team leader and handled serious felony trials in juvenile court.

Over the next eight-years, Raquel was one of three-attorneys assigned to the Writs and Appeals Unit. Known as the "attorneys for the attorneys," the appellate unit handles the office's most complex legal work. In this capacity, Raquel prosecuted over 100 writs and appeals in the Fourth District Court of Appeal, division two, the California Supreme Court, the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and in the Superior Court. Most of Raquel's appellate cases involved homicides, special circumstance cases, the Three Strikes law, and other complex matters that carried the potential to set long-standing precedent. Raquel consistently worked to attain the stiffest punishment for the most violent criminals. Many of her cases were highlighted in The Daily Journal - a California legal newspaper. Raquel also drafted legislation that amended Penal Code sections 1050 and 1050.5 and she litigated People v. Henderson (2004) 115 Cal.App.4th 922, a case that stopped an emerging trend in California that threatened the dismissal of cases due to court congestion. In addition, as a senior attorney, Raquel provided in-house training for prosecutors in Riverside, Indio and Southwest on numerous procedural and substantive issues. She has also been a guest instructor for C.D.A.A., and she is currently a regular instructor for P.O.S.T. certified law enforcement courses.

After her service in the writs and appeals unit, Raquel was assigned to prosecute methamphetamine laboratory cases throughout Western Riverside County. She worked very closely with the Southwest Corridor Narcotics Task Force to assist with the review of search warrants, to assist with the investigation, and ultimately to prosecute individuals engaged in methamphetamine production. Thereafter, she was assigned to the Complaints Unit at the Southwest Court.

For the past five-years, Raquel has been assigned to the Juvenile Division, where she was assigned to supervise eight Deputy District Attorneys who were assigned multi-agency teams. Due to budget limitations, Raquel's job duties expanded. She currently supervises 21 Youth Accountability / Crime Prevention Teams countywide. These teams work within nearly every community in Riverside County to stop at-risk students and troubled youth from engaging in destructive behaviors in an effort to prevent crime before it starts. In 2005, Y.A.T. was awarded the Challenge Award by the California State Association of Counties as a model program in the state.

Raquel also works closely with the Sheriff's Department, Probation, DPSS, Mental Health, the Riverside County Office of Education's Safe Schools Unit and school districts throughout Riverside County to develop strategies to better address juvenile delinquency and to promote safe schools and safe neighborhoods. To this end, she worked with the Superior Court to develop collaborative early intervention truancy and delinquency courts throughout the County + so far four are up and running in Blythe, Hemet, San Jacinto and Temecula. She has also worked to update municipal codes to better address juvenile delinquency. Additionally, Raquel has worked to develop a multi-agency comprehensive law enforcement curriculum that will educate all middle-school students in Riverside County about our criminal laws and our system of justice.

Throughout her entire career, Raquel has been an active volunteer in her community. Raquel has coached 16 high school mock trial teams from Arlington High School, Temecula Valley High School and Great Oak High School. She has taught Parent Project courses on behalf of the S.A.F.E & P.A.L organizations in Temecula. She has also participated in Southwest County Community Partnership programs, the Gang and Violence Prevention Coalition and she has completed substantial pro bono work. Additionally, for nearly 10-years, Raquel has served as the judge for the Lake Elsinore and Temecula Youth Courts.

Raquel's work throughout the County has given her the opportunity to become well acquainted with all the diverse cities and communities within Riverside County and with the agencies and public servants that serve these communities. For her efforts in the communities, Raquel was recently honored by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors and by The Riverside County Commission for Women as the Third District "Woman of the Year." She was also honored by the Riverside and San Bernardino Catholic Charities Organization as their Person of the Year.

In her legal career, Raquel has had the opportunity to serve as a trial prosecutor, an appellate lawyer, a community leader and organizer, and a supervisor and mentor. Each of these roles has prepared her well to serve as an effective judge for Riverside County. Raquel has accomplished many goals as a Deputy District Attorney and she has made important contributions within our County. As a Superior Court Judge, Raquel will continue to make substantial contributions in Riverside County Courthouses as she continues to serve the People of Riverside County