SAN DIEGO (February 14, 2024) – The San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA) announced its evaluations for six candidates vying for four San Diego Superior Court judicial seats in the March 5, 2024 primary election.

The SDCBA has evaluated candidates in judicial elections since 1978 as a public service because there is very little information on judicial candidates that is readily available to the public. The SDCBA’s evaluations do not compare opposing candidates, nor do they endorse or oppose the election of particular candidates or imply the SDCBA’s support of a particular candidate. In accordance with the SDCBA’s Judicial Election Evaluation Committee (JEEC) Rules, each candidate is evaluated on that candidate’s individual merit and given one of five evaluations:

“Exceptionally Qualified”: Presently possessing exceptional professional ability, experience, competence, integrity and/or temperament to perform the judicial function.

“Well Qualified”: Presently possessing a high-level professional ability, experience, competence, integrity and/or temperament indicating high-level ability to perform the judicial function.

"Qualified": Presently possessing professional ability, experience, competence, integrity and/or temperament indicating ability to perform the judicial function.

"Lacking Qualifications": Presently not possessing professional ability, experience, competence, integrity and/or temperament indicating ability to perform the judicial function.

“Unable to Evaluate”: If the Committee does not receive sufficient information from persons who know a candidate to fairly and adequately evaluate a candidate's ability to perform the judicial function, the candidate may be deemed “Unable to Evaluate.”

Here are the SDCBA JEEC evaluations for the candidates in judicial elections for 2024:

San Diego County Superior Court Judge – Office No. 19
Commissioner Rosy S. Meyerowitz — EXCEPTIONALLY QUALIFIED

San Diego County Superior Court Judge – Office No. 38
Commissioner Kelly C. Mertsoc — EXCEPTIONALLY QUALIFIED

San Diego County Superior Court Judge – Office No. 41
Jodi Cleesattle — EXCEPTIONALLY QUALIFIED
Brian Erickson — EXCEPTIONALLY QUALIFIED

San Diego County Superior Court Judge – Office No. 43
Koryn Sheppard — EXCEPTIONALLY QUALIFIED
Valerie Summers — EXCEPTIONALLY QUALIFIED

State court judges in California serve six-year terms and are elected by county voters on a nonpartisan ballot at a general election, and vacancies are filled through appointment by the Governor. At the end of each term, judges must seek re-election, and attorneys seeking judgeships are able to run for one of the positions up for re-election.

The JEEC comprises 23 attorneys representing widely diverse backgrounds, professional experiences, and legal practice areas, including lawyers from the public and private sectors, civil and criminal law practitioners, sole practitioners and members of small, medium, and large law firms to provide a comprehensive set of perspectives. The committee prepares its evaluations by actively gathering information on each candidate from a wide variety of sources, including broad feedback from the community and information received from each candidate. The JEEC follows a detailed and confidential process in determining its evaluations, modeled after the California State Bar’s Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation process used when candidates are appointed by the Governor. Judicial candidates may choose not to participate in the evaluation process, however, the JEEC will provide an evaluation if there is enough information available.

Judicial candidates are evaluated on 15 different factors including fairness and objectivity; integrity and honesty; decisiveness; judgment and common sense; judicial temperament; knowledge of the law; professional reputation; trial experience; intellect and ability; tolerance and lack of bias; caseload management; courtesy and patience; writing and research skills; and compassion and understanding. Factors that are not part of the evaluation process: religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, race, gender, disability, nor type of law practiced.

"While voters routinely hear information about most candidates running for office in San Diego elections, it can often be difficult for voters to find information about candidates running for Superior Court Judge,” said Stacey Kartchner, 2024 SDCBA President. “The San Diego County Bar is in a unique position to offer a neutral evaluation of judicial candidates to voters after the candidates have been meticulously vetted through a strict, comprehensive, and independent process. This time-tested process underscores our commitment to serving both the legal community and the general public by helping San Diego voters make a more informed decision about whom to elect to the bench."

For more on the SDCBA’s judicial candidate evaluation process, please visit www.sdcba.org/judicialevaluations.

The San Diego County Bar Association, established in 1899, is the region’s largest law-related organization, dedicated to serving the needs of all attorneys and the legal community in San Diego County.