Open Letter to Alpine County Voters

February 4, 2008

VOTERS OF ALPINE COUNTY:

I endorse Karen Dustman for election to the Superior Court of Alpine County, and this is why:

I was privileged and honored to serve as your Superior Court Judge for twelve years. I presided over a court blessed with a team of competent and loyal clerks and aides. During my tenure we effectively and efficiently brought the Court through a number of modernizations and transitions, including unification into one Superior Court, assumption of funding of the Court by the state, and computerization of Court services to enable the Court to better serve the people of Alpine County.

Now I am retired, but I continue to serve as a Superior Court judge on assignment in a variety of jurisdictions, and because of my commitment to the Courts as institutions of public service, I have followed developments in my previous judicial venue of Markleeville.

I actively sought the appointment of Dave DeVore to the Alpine County bench. I now have to admit that I erred in seeking that selection.

A Superior Court judge must have good legal skills and the ability to understand the law and apply it to the facts of each case. A Superior Court judge must also have "judicial temperament" -- the capacity to relate to every person in the court with understanding and courtesy. This quality is not taught in law school; it is a manifestation of personality that is as important, if not more important, as the judge's legal skills. There is no advance test for judicial temperament -- only actual bench service reveals whether the judge has it. . . .

Some will ask why I, no longer a resident of Alpine County, speak out on the coming election. It is because I valued my service as a judge in Alpine County, and I respect the Court as a public service which must be protected. . . A judge is expected to be a problem solver who acts calmly and with understanding. . . .

I respectfully recommend that you elect Karen Dustman as your Superior Court Judge. I was privileged to observe her as an attorney, and I am confident she has the legal skills and analytical ability to serve the office well. More importantly, she has the necessary judicial temperament to treat all litigants and attorneys with respect and understanding, and to restore the high morale of the Superior Court team for service to you, the citizens of Alpine County.

[signed]

HAROLD BRADFORD