from the Jim Miller for Judge campaign…
The California Republican Party endorsed Jim Miller for Superior Court Judge yesterday. This follows the endorsement of Miller by the San Diego County Republican Party in March, the Lincoln Club of San Diego County and ICaucus not to mention dozens of elected officials, attorneys and community leaders.
In case you didn’t know Jim’s deputy DA opponent (Robert Amador), after failing to gain the endorsement of the local Republican Party or Lincoln Club, filed a lawsuit against Jim’s ballot statement. He simply didn’t want Jim’s substantially greater experience being touted and filed suit as a proverbial “Hail Mary”. After substantial pleadings were drafted and the trial was held Judge Joel Pressman, ruled that Jim’s statement contained truthful and accurate information. Most importantly stating that Jim is “experienced and qualified in all 5 primary areas of the law”, that he may use the title “Attorney/Arbitrator” and Jim is experienced as a Judge Pro Tem of the Superior Court.
There were a couple very small word changes. Such as the slogan, “A Judge from San Diego for San Diego.” At our suggestion the court changed it to, “A judicial candidate from San Diego for San Diego.” Also the court changed the reference to deputy DA and City Attorney to “government attorneys”.
One of the more interesting quotes from the judge’s ruling was, “…the Court finds that Miller’s use of the statement ‘only candidate’ draws attention to his opponent’s lack of qualifications and/or personal failings.”
In a last minute attempt to save himself, the deputy DA opponent filed a declaration with the court 3 hours before the trial trying to have Jim’s attorney, Bob Ottilie, conflicted off the case.
Ottilie responded by filing a declaration saying of Amador, “It is one thing to mistakenly believe that because he (Amador) called me there is a conflict, which I reject; it is another thing to describe, under oath, a version of events that did not occur for purposes of trying to advance himself to a position on the San Diego Superior Court.” If Ottilie is to be believed, Amador would have committed perjury in his declaration.
The icing on the matter was when deputy DA David Berry, himself a candidate for Judge in a different seat, was willing to testify in open court supporting his own interaction with Ottilie in a similar situation. The challenge was immediately withdrawn upon hearing that another deputy DA was going to testify.
Stay tuned to the paper and local media as this story is about to break.
Please do not forget to make a donation to the campaign. San Diego County is a huge area to run a campaign and while lawsuit filed was defeated it did cost campaign funds to defend it. The “fun” campaign may be the Mayor’s race in the City of San Diego, those candidates have half the voters Jim is campaigning for and they have millions already in their accounts. Jim needs your help if we are to bring balance, honor and character to the bench:
http://jimmillerforjudge.com/donate/
The campaign rolls on.