On June 5, San Luis Obispo County voters will have the opportunity to vote for a candidate for SLO County Superior Court judge to replace Barry T. LaBarbera, who is retiring. The vast majority of the time, the governor appoints judges to our Superior Court bench upon the retirement of a sitting judge. This year, Judge LaBarbera’s retirement coincides with the end of his six-year term. As a result, SLO County voters will determine which candidate will fill this open seat in the primary election.
In the race to fill Judge LaBarbera’s seat, one candidate is already doing the work of a judge every day: Commissioner Tim Covello. Tim was appointed as a court commissioner by the local judges who observed his legal and administrative skills during a 25 year career in the local courts. He has been endorsed by 29 current and retired judicial officers, including two justices of the California Court of Appeal.
A campaign for judge is different from all other campaigns. Judicial ethics rules prevent a candidate for judge from voicing his or her opinion on political questions or stating how he or she might rule on particular issues. Instead, a judicial campaign focuses on the candidate’s experience and qualifications.
The commentary to the code of judicial ethics states that sitting judges are permitted to endorse candidates for judicial office “because judicial officers have a special obligation to uphold the integrity, impartiality, and independence of the judiciary and are in a unique position to know the qualifications necessary to serve as a competent judicial officer.”
The authors of this commentary have firsthand knowledge of Tim’s qualifications based on his work in the District Attorney’s Office and as a judicial colleague. We believe that judicial experience, broad ranging legal experience, and solid judgment are powerful reasons to vote for Tim Covello for Judge.
Judicial experience: Tim serves with distinction as a judicial officer in our court. He makes decisions every day in cases involving our county’s residents. In his work for the court, Tim has proven himself to be a hardworking jurist who is committed to public service and the mission of the court to administer justice fairly, efficiently, and effectively.
Legal experience: Tim’s work experience, integrity, and work ethic are of the highest caliber. As a criminal prosecutor, he successfully handled some of the most complex and serious cases that have been litigated in our community. The quality of his work and the breadth of his legal experience establish his credentials as an exceptionally capable and knowledgeable prosecutor.
As assistant district attorney, Tim worked tirelessly to develop policies and procedures to implement new laws and to improve overall operations of the office. These skills are equally important to the efficient administration of our court system.
Solid judgment: Tim has earned our respect for his unwavering commitment to the cause of justice. He is thoughtful, analytical, and scholarly in his approach to legal issues. He is open minded, fair, and dedicated to his work and to the public he serves. He has shown both courage and humility in taking on some of the most difficult challenges a prosecutor can face. He is exceptionally well qualified to serve as a Superior Court judge, and we welcome the opportunity to have him join us as a colleague. Δ
Barry T. LaBarbera, Charles S. Crandall, and Rita Federman are current judges of the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court. Send comments through the editor at clanham@newtimesslo.com or submit your opinion for publication at letters@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Mar 22 – Apr 1, 2018.
Well the Judicial support is interesting smells like the good ole boy club, yet i learned that we have not has an elected Judge by the People in over 12+ years they have been political appointments, so now the time has come that we the people get to chose who we want as a Judge so we will vote June-5-18, my bet is since Mr. Covello was supported by the very same group for running for DA in 2014 yet he lost big time.
So it is now time for the free people of the USA to elect our new judge not the judges to influence us, so i will use the democratic process and Vote for the next judge not allow the pressure of his buddies to tell us who to vote for, so to be open I’m voting for the most honest, ethical, not in the Governors pocket or the current judges pocket.
Illan Funke-Bilu will be getting our vote and he will prevail
Mr. Browne,
I couldn’t disagree more with your comments on the judgeship campaigns of Ilan Funke-Bilu and Tim Covello. (In addition to your poor writing, you didn’t even have the date of the election correct: It is June 5, 2018!).
Ilan Funke-Bilu, in my opinion, does not have the requisite temperament to be a judge. Please read my comments in the Tribune, May 31, 2018, in which I draw a sharp contrast between the attributes of Tim Covello and Ilan Funke-Bilu. I have witnessed both of them in action, carrying out their respective roles; my assessment is based on this first-hand knowledge of how each candidate serves the public.
Many of us who live in Cambria have vivid memories of Funke-Bilus performance as a former Director on the Cambria Community Services District (CCSD) Board. For example, I attended the 9-27-2007 meeting of the CCSD Board, during which Funke-Bilu exhibited incredible arrogance and rudeness toward the California Coastal Commission, referring to the Commission members, on camera, as a Bunch of Schmucks. For more detail, read Sierra Club, Santa Lucian Nov/Dec 2007, p.9:
https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierr…
The qualities we expect in a judge are: knowledge of the law, esteem for the office and the public, patience under pressure, courtesy, tact, humility, open-mindedness, appropriate temperament and demeanor.
On all counts, Tim Covello embodies these attributes. In my opinion, Funke-Bilue clearly does not.
Tina Dickason,
Cambria
Corrected version:
Mr. Browne,
I couldn’t disagree more with your comments on the judgeship campaigns of Ilan Funke-Bilu and Tim Covello.
Ilan Funke-Bilu, in my opinion, does not have the requisite temperament to be a judge. Please read my comments in the Tribune, May 31, 2018, in which I draw a sharp contrast between the attributes of Tim Covello and Ilan Funke-Bilu. I have witnessed both of them in action, carrying out their respective roles; my assessment is based on this first-hand knowledge of how each candidate serves the public.
Many of us who live in Cambria have vivid memories of Funke-Bilus performance as a former Director on the Cambria Community Services District (CCSD) Board. For example, I attended the 9-27-2007 meeting of the CCSD Board, during which Funke-Bilu exhibited incredible arrogance and rudeness toward the California Coastal Commission, referring to the Commission members, on camera, as a Bunch of Schmucks.
For more detail, read Sierra Club, Santa Lucian Nov/Dec 2007, p.9: https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierr…
The qualities we expect in a judge are: knowledge of the law, esteem for the office and the public, patience under pressure, courtesy, tact, humility, open-mindedness, appropriate temperament and demeanor.
On all counts, Tim Covello embodies these attributes. In my opinion, Funke-Bilu clearly does not.