League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Los Angeles County, CA November 4, 2008 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Judge, Superior Court; County of Los Angeles; Office 94

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles County and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Qualifications, Sentencing, Media coverage Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. Please provide a brief list of your qualifications in bullet format. (No more than 25 words for this section.) Answer from C. Edward Mack: Legal Experience 17 1/2 years Criminal Trial Attorney 5 years Civil Experience as Municipal Court Judicial Law Clerk Tried over 100 jury trials Answer from Michael J. O'Gara: 17 years as a Deputy District Attorney Handled thousands of cases including murder, rape, carjacking, robbery, and violent assaults Specially trained Sexual Assault Deputy Rated "Well Qualified" by the Los Angeles County Bar Association 2. How much flexibility should judges have in determining the length of sentences? (No more than 150 words total for questions 2 and 3.) Answer from Michael J. O'Gara: Unlike federal court, state court judges already have tremendous flexibility in determining the length of sentences. With the exception of very violent offenses such as murder and sex offenses where a “life” term is mandated, California judges have discretion to sentence offenders to anything from probation to state prison. Each case must be considered individually and California judges have the ultimate flexibility in possible sentencing options. Answer from C. Edward Mack: The current amount of flexibility regarding sentencing is adequate. There are three sentencing terms to select from; a low term, a middle term and a high term. The judge can select the high term based on aggravating factors or the low term where there are mitigating factors. Probation is also an option if the judge chooses to be more lenient and not send the person to prison. 3. Should more trials be covered by TV and radio? How would you handle media coverage in your courtroom? (No more than 150 words total for questions 2 and 3.) Answer from C. Edward Mack: . All trials are public hearings unless they fit under a special category; therefore, theoretically, all trials could be telecasted. The problems come from sensationalizing and slanting favoritism to one side over another. When this happens, a party's due process rights to a fair trial may be compromised. I would insist on objective commentary from both sides if the media outlet were going to comment. Answer from Michael J. O'Gara: I wish more of the public could visit our courts on days other than when called for jury duty. They would see what happens daily in our courts. Because that is not feasible, the best alternative is to open our proceedings to the media. I encourage more coverage of our legal proceedings through television and radio, however, that coverage must be tempered to guarantee fairness and justice for all involved parties. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Until 5:00 p.m. on September 5, 2008, candidates for Superior Court Judge must limit their answers to 175 words total for all questions so that a paper Voters Guide may be published. Specific word limits are as follows: 25 words for question 1; 150 words total for questions 2 and 3. After 5:00 p.m. on September 5, 2008, word limits will no longer apply. Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League or by Smart Voter, and must comply with California law as stated in California Election Code sections 13307 and 13308. Candidates are restricted to identifying their own qualifications and may not comment on any other candidate’s qualifications, character, or activities. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.