‘Support for the Justices’
Your editorial (Oct. 20), “Support for the Justices,” was misleading, bearing little resemblance to the facts. People who vote “no” on Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird and Justices Joseph Grodin and Cruz Reynoso are not turning the justices into legislators. The justices have turned themselves into legislators by their actions on the court.
The voting records of Bird, Grodin and Reynoso show a deliberate and conscious effort to carry out their own social program. Numerous cases, both civil and criminal, can be cited to support this conclusion.
It is ludicrous for their supporters to claim independence of the judiciary as a reason for retention. When justices become activists by legislating their own social agenda they remove themselves from any such protection.
How do the judges feel about this issue that is so very important to them? After discussions with various judges throughout the state I feel certain that a large majority will vote against confirmation. It is the hope of most judges that we regain the respect and fine reputation we enjoyed in the pre-Bird years. A “no” vote on these three justices will be a good start.
EDWARD L. LAIRD
Santa Ana
Laird is a Municipal Court judge in the Central Orange County Judicial District.
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