First published in the Nov. 3 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
As a Los Angeles County resident wanting to be more informed about the judicial races on the midterm ballot, I attended an event to meet four amazing women who are collectively called “The Defenders of Justice 2022.”
These candidates campaigning for judicial offices on the ballot get very little press and there is little known about them. This is very sad because the judges we vote for are so important to our L.A. County community.
I cannot express how impressed I was with these four candidates. Three of the women, Anna Slotky Reitano, Holly Hancock, and Elizabeth Lashley-Haynes, are deputy public defenders. Carolyn “JiYoung” Park is a civil rights litigator.
I learned that never in the history of Los Angeles County has a public defender been elected to the bench. Instead, nearly 80% of the judges elected in the past 20 years have been prosecutors who tend to over-incarcerate, which can harm our communities. We need diversity on the bench.
In my opinion, it is necessary to prioritize community well-being while treating everyone with respect and dignity.
This slate of respectable, experienced candidates will definitely follow the law and should be highly considered in the midterm election.
Lyn Kaiser
La Cañada Flintridge
