Two Governing Board trustees are running in different races this primary season. Former Governing Board president Tim Nader is one of four candidates running for Seat 30 of San Diego’s Superior Court judges.
What would you strive to do if elected as Superior Court Judge?
If elected I hope to be a fair, impartial and competent judge. People should be able to be confident that their cases, whether they are criminal defendants or victims, or involved in a civil or family dispute, will be decided competently and without bias.
I also hope to communicate with the community, and especially with underserved parts of the community, about our justice system and how it works, and encourage diverse young people to consider careers in law, law enforcement and related fields.
Finally, I strive to defend the Constitution and the rights and people it protects against overreach by anyone willing to disregard it in pursuit of personal or ideological agendas.
What are the big challenges you will tackle if elected?
The biggest challenge I want to tackle if I can is the disconnect between our justice system and our communities, rooted in a combination of lack of understanding, implicit biases, and lack of resources. I want to facilitate our police being able to do their job effectively and our communities feeling protected. I want to participate in educational programs to promote better community understanding of what our justice system does, how it works, and why it’s important to protecting our freedom. I want to connect people to needed resources (legal assistance, education, rehabilitative services) to achieve just outcomes and to advocate (consistent with my role as a judge) for resources to be available to protect and serve the public. I want to protect the rights of crime victims and assure threats to public safety and the rule of law under our Constitution are not tolerated.
What, outside of a college education, do you feel qualifies you for public office?
I am qualified for office in part by my significant and varied legal experience as a criminal prosecutor, a child support attorney and a civil litigator. I’m also qualified by my community experience. My time as Mayor of Chula Vista and as Southwestern Community College Trustee have made me more aware of the relationship between upholding our constitution and the everyday lives of people in our community. I have compiled a strong record of defending free speech, freedom of religion, equal protection of the law and due process.
What lessons have you learned during your time at Southwestern College that has prepared for you for this position?
My time at Southwestern College has included working to restore the constitutional legal rights of students and employees after years of a corrupt, scofflaw local administration, and to protect those rights from a federal administration that threatened to put its ideological agenda above the Constitution.  My efforts have included defending the Sun’s right to publish, the rights of students and employees to openly state their opinions, and the rights of all people including immigrants, members of all ethnic groups, the LGBTQ community and people of faith to be free from targeting based on who they are or what they believe. The lessons learned from seeing firsthand at this college that our Constitutional rights are only as good as the protection we give them, will make me a better judge because they have given me a keen understanding of the importance of upholding the Constitution regardless of personal opinion or preference.
What makes you stand out from your opponents?
I am the only candidate for judicial seat #30 with extensive experience in criminal, civil and family law. I am the only candidate who has served in other branches of government (and has gained from that experience a keen understanding of the appropriate limits of a judge’s role). I am the only candidate with the experience of crafting public policy that has given me a better understanding of how judicial decisions may affect the community. I am the only candidate who has had responsibility for police budgets and policy, and who has actually helped grow a police department and implemented policies to support our public safety personnel. And, I am the only candidate who has actually been responsible for, and has a track record for, protecting the Constitutional rights of our citizens when threatened by abuse of authority – a key role for which our society depends on our judges to maintain our freedom.
Why should the SWC community vote for you?
The SWC community should join in supporting my candidacy because I’m a proven advocate for constitutional law, equal protection, public safety and opportunity.
