This is an archive of a past election.
See http://www.smartvoter.org/ca/la/ for current information.
LWV logo League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Smart Voter logo
Los Angeles County, CA June 3, 2008 Election
Judge, Superior Court; County of Los Angeles; Office 72 Voter Information

Salary: $178,789

Results as of Jun 25 2:10pm, 100.00% of Precincts Reporting (4,783/4,783)

Runoff Election 11/4/2008

Candidates (Vote for 1)
Click on highlighted name for additional information supplied by candidate. Contact non-highlighted candidates and encourage them to provide information for voters.

Hilleri Grossman Merritt Click here for more information about this candidate 281,854 votes 48.68%

  • Occupation: Criminal Trial Prosecutor
  • Juris Doctor Degree, Loyola Law School, 1993
  • Bachelor of Arts Degree, cum laude, UCLA 1990
  • Deputy District Attorney, 1994-present
  • District Attorney of the Month, 2006
  • Sex Crimes Division, 1998-2003
  • Commendation from Los Angeles Police Chief Bratton and LT. Neiman, 2006, for Gang Murder conviction
Priorities:
  • To preside fairly so that all parties feel their voices are heard, including vicitims, witnesses and jurors.
  • To reduce the tremendous courtroom backlog by bringing civil cases to trial in a timely and efficient manner.
  • To keep our communities safe by ensuring that repeat/violent offenders receive lengthy prison sentences.
Steven A. Simons, Sr Click here for more information about this candidate 178,306 votes 30.80%
  • Occupation: Consumer Rights Attorney
  • JD Southwestern University School of Law
  • Nominee Pro Bono Attorney of Year State Bar
  • Business Owner
  • Mediator/Arbitrator
  • Husband & Father
  • Church Leader
Priorities:
  • To serve as a civil alternative to the Bench
  • Allow litigants to have a fair and impartial hearing
  • Strive for speedy resolution of litigation without compromising the parties rights
Marc Alain Chomel Click here for more information about this candidate 118,792 votes 20.52%
  • Occupation: Supervising Criminal Prosecutor
  • J.D., University of Houston Law School
  • B.A. with Honors, University of Texas
  • Justice for Homicide Victims Award
  • Supervised Juvenile and Adult Offices
Priorities:
  • Elimination of unnecessary delays in court proceedings that wastes the time of jurors and witnesses
  • Tougher Sentencing for violent , serious and domestic violence offenders and fewer settlements of violent felony and domestic violence cases
  • No tolerance for the violation of ethical standards by lawyers, regardless of who they represent

Basic candidate data supplied by the applicable elections official. All candidates have been invited to supply additional information to Smart Voter. Order of candidates is random and changes daily.
  Candidates Answer Questions

The the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles County has asked all candidates for this office to respond to 3 questions on Qualifications, Reason for Running, and Experiences and Personal Qualities.

Official Information

Superior Court of California
County of Los Angeles
News and Analysis

L.A. County Bar Association

Why Vote on Judges?

Judges must deal with everything from minor disputes to society's most intractable problems. Their decisions have as great an impact on our lives as decisions made by the governor or legislator. The governor alone selects those who will serve on the bench. But at election time, voters become the judges of who is qualified to remain there. Those who vote are exercising an important opportunity to maintain the balance between judicial independence and accountability.

from Voters Guide to Judicial Elections (Archives of the League of Women Voters of California)
This election is archived. Any links to sources outside of Smart Voter may no longer be active. No further links will be added to this page.
Links to sources outside of Smart Voter are provided for information only and do not imply endorsement.

Home (Ballot Lookup) || About Smart Voter || Feedback


Created: July 31, 2008 13:32 PDT
Smart Voter   <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://ca.lwv.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.