Candidate for
Superior Court Judge; County of Alameda; Office 21

Dear Friends,

This year, voters in Alameda County will have a rare opportunity to elect a new judge to the Superior Court bench. The position of Judge of the Alameda County Superior Court carries with it great responsibility, both to the legal community and to the community at large. If elected to this position, I would work diligently to fulfill both.

I have had a lifelong commitment to public service. While an attorney for more than ten years with the Asian Law Caucus, I litigated numerous cases on behalf of low income residents who faced discrimination or harassment on the job or threats to civil liberties. I was proud to have served as co-counsel to Fred Korematsu, who successfully challenged and had vacated his World War II conviction for refusing to report to an internment camp.

Under President Clinton, I was the Director of the Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, responsible for ensuring the enforcement of the Age Discrimination Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. For 5 years, I served as the Director of the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which enforces the Fair Employment and Housing Act, the Unruh Act, and the Ralph Act, which addresses act of hate violence.

Most recently, I was elected to the Board of AC Transit, working to ensure affordable transportation to all residents of Alameda County.

My commitment to public service leads me to seek election to Judge of the Superior Court. I believe strongly that judges must be impartial and independent of the legislature and the Governor. I also feel that it is fundamental that the courts remain accessible to all residents, regardless of disability, ability to speak English, or financial status. And above all else, judges must render decisions that are fair and free of bias. Because of these beliefs, I have been endorsed by a wide range of judicial and public officials, and prominent community leaders.

If you believe as strongly as I do in a judiciary that is independent, accessible, and fair, then I ask for your vote. Thank you for your consideration.

DENNIS HAYASHI