Virtual town halls to explore intersection of courts and politics

The California Judges Association's Judicial Fairness Coalition is set to host a series of virtual town halls, starting Feb. 25, to delve into judicial independence and the intersection of courts and politics.

The first two sessions of the "Judges & Politics" series will take place in Southern California. The Feb. 25 Coastal Town Hall will feature Orange County Superior Court Judge Lee Gabriel, San Diego County Superior Court Judge Robert Trentacosta, and Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Laura Walton. San Diego County Chief Deputy District Attorney Jerrilyn Malana will serve as panel moderator.

The Southern California Inland session will take place on March 19, featuring Riverside County Superior Court Judge Sean Lafferty, Imperial County Superior Court Judge Marco Nunez, and retired San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge John Pacheco. Greg Rizio, immediate past president of CAL-ABOTA, will moderate.

"Civic engagement is more critical than ever before," said CJA President and San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Khymberli Apaloo. "It is important that we create greater transparency and make more information about the third branch available to the public."

The town halls, co-organized by the California Lawyers Association and the California Lawyers Foundation, will expand later this year to include sessions focused on the Sacramento and San Francisco regions. Although organized by region, all virtual events are free and open to the public.

Established in 2018, the Judicial Fairness Coalition brings together active and retired judges, bar association members, and legal academics. The group is dedicated to combating misinformation about the judiciary and launched a public education campaign in 2022 to highlight the court system's role.

Registration is available at caljudges.org. All sessions begin at 4:30 p.m.