VOTE411 Voter Guide

I’ve been an attorney for more than 20 years. I currently serve as a State Appointed Attorney for inmates appearing before the Board of Parole and I’ve done hundreds of hearings which has given me insight into the causes of crime and what it takes to turn people away from it. I also serve as an Administrative Law Judge and Hearing Officer for cities and counties for municipal code violations—I already do what judges do every day: weigh evidence, make written decisions and impose fines when necessary. Which means I’m an experienced decision maker, not just an advocate for one side or the other. But I’m also more than an attorney—I’ve been in public service for more than 30 years. I’m serving my 5th term on the Manhattan Beach City Council and I served communities throughout LA County for 12 years as Senior Deputy to LA County Supervisor Don Knabe. I believe in both consequences and compassion and I want to make the law work for all of us. I believe we need more judges with diverse backgrounds who know our communities, who have worked with both victims and criminals, and who have the experience to know what works and what doesn't. Because being a judge is about more than just the law, it’s about life and how experience informs decisions. And I think that’s the choice here—what makes a better judge? Someone whose experience is informed by basically doing one thing, or someone whose experience is informed by doing many things? I’m not your traditional candidate for judge and I think that’s a good thing. Now I want to take the pragmatic decision making I’ve applied in my legal and political careers and apply that as a judge on the LA Superior Court. But I can’t do it alone, I need your vote and I’d appreciate your consideration.

Being a parole attorney for lifers, I absolutely believe in rehabilitation—I’ve seen it and I’ve argued for it, up close and personal in our prisons. Punishment has it’s place, but we literally and figuratively can’t afford to just punish folks without providing the support and services they need to rehabilitate themselves. My clients have to take self help, they have to stay discipline free, and they have to change their thinking, and they have to go before the Parole Board to prove that they’ve done it. And for those who do it, there’s a less than 3% recidivism rate. I also believe in diversion programs, and we need more of them for low level offenders—but they also need consequences if they don’t meet their treatment milestones. Unfortunately, it’s the short term offenders that cycle in and out of prison because they don’t have to meet milestones or make any really change before they get out. I’d like to see any reduction in sentences tied to taking many of the same programs and services that lifers have to do, along with an exit exam, before they’re let out early.

Yes, as I mentioned I have a lot of experience in a lot of things. I’ve been involved in local government for more than 30 years. I’m serving my 5th term on the Manhattan Beach City Council where public safety is always my first priority. I’ve successfully championed initiatives that have improved our quality of life, protected our environment, and supported our seniors and children. I’ve also dealt with the same issues that cities across LA County have had to deal with—crime, homelessness, housing and infrastructure improvements. I also served 12 years as Senior Deputy to LA County Supervisor Don Knabe, representing him in communities across LA County, overseeing legal matters, county departments and initiatives, and addressing our most urgent issues, including homelessness, public safety, and more. I’ve been President and a Boardmember of the Independent Cities Association, which is a group of LA County cities that advocates for legislation and resources from Sacramento, and I’ve sat on the Board of a number of different nonprofit organizations such as the Salvation Army, the Richstone Family Center, and Pediatric Therapy Network to name a few. But whatever else I’ve done, the most important job I have is being a father to my two kids. No candidate has more experience in the things that matter most to our communities.

I am born and raised in Inglewood Ca. I attended public school my entire life. I graduated valedictorian from Morningside High School then went on the UCLA where I graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. I then went on the UCLA where I graduated with a concentration in Critical Race Theory. I have been a public defender in Los Angeles for the last 15 years working in courthouses including Airport, Inglewood, Compton and the Central Court. I now serve as the Deputy in Charge of the Homeless Mobile Unit where my specific assignment is to clear the criminal records of our unhoused neighbors.

When I started as a public defender the laws were draconian and I spent much of my time trying to keep my unhoused, mentally ill clients out of custody. I discovered long ago that addressing their circumstances is more effective at ending recidivism than incarceration.

Fortunately the law has changed with legislation like Prop 47 and Prop 57, Measure J, Measure H and a variety of diversion options now is the time to finally put end to mass incarceration and seek alternatives to incarceration. That is why I am running to apply the law as it currently stands.

I believe that over incarceration is a problem that must be addressed. In courts far too often placing people in cages is the first option when it should be based exclusively on public safety. In order to change things the court has to address the circumstances that bring people before it. That includes issues associated with mental health and homelessness. I have been addressing these issues by getting my clients diagnosed, finding them housing and getting them community based housing for the entirety of my legal career. Fortunately the law has changed significantly over the last five years and thanks to advocates, legislators and community members. These laws allow for, and in some instances compel, judges to choose alternatives to incarceration. I am dedicated to not only following these laws but amplifying community based programs and other evidence based solutions to public safety.

I am a husband and father of three boys. I live a few houses away from the home I was raised in. I have been fighting for the rights of people in my community professionally for the last 15 years but personally for as long as I can remember. I have always been guided by my desire to be of service and to seek justice. In addition I am naturally curious and empathic person and I believe that the court should be a place where people are heard and made whole as best as possible.