On Wednesday, February 14, 2024, BNN reported that the upcoming election for the San Francisco Superior Court judgeships is mired in controversy. The election is scheduled for later this year and pits the incumbent judges Michael Isaku Begert and Carolyn Gold against challengers Alfred Chip Zecher and Jean Myungjin Roland respectively.
The article detailed that the normally non-partisan judicial election has taken a political turn. Complaints have been filed alleging some judges openly endorsed candidates in other races, bringing their impartiality into question. Additionally, a non-profit organization called Stop Crime Action released “report cards” evaluating the judges that have been criticized as biased and inaccurate.
Further controversy has arisen around challenger Jean Myungjin Roland, who is running against Judge Carolyn Gold. Roland did not disclose that her husband had previously prosecuted cases against his own former drug dealers. This omission raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest if Roland were to become a judge.
Adding to the problematic atmosphere, the San Francisco Bar Association ratings of the two incumbents as “Well Qualified” have been used by some to argue in support of the incumbent judges. However, the Bar Association declined to rate the challengers as they did not respond to questionnaires.
The politicized nature of endorsements and ethical complaints have cast a shadow over the integrity of the non-partisan judiciary. Regardless of the eventual outcome, the high-profile San Francisco Superior Court election has become emblematic of the challenges facing judicial independence and impartiality as political and special interests seek to influence court decisions. With the election date fast approaching, the controversy over this important local race shows no signs of abating.
Source: BNN
