Listed below are the 6 attorneys operating for San Diego Superior Court docket decide seats

For practically all races on the San Diego County major election poll, the highest two vote-getters will transfer on to November’s normal election.

Not so for the judicial seats. Subsequent week’s major winners shall be elected to the bench.

That’s as a result of decide contests are distinctive in {that a} candidate who wins greater than 50 % of votes within the major election is the winner. With simply two candidates in every of the 2 contested races, the winners will safe the easy majority they should keep away from a November runoff.

A senior assistant state legal professional normal is squaring off towards a deputy district legal professional for Workplace No. 41, whereas a household legislation litigator is up towards a deputy district legal professional for Workplace No. 43.

Two Superior Court docket commissioners are operating unopposed for 2 different seats.

The San Diego County Bar Affiliation gave all six candidates its high score of “exceptionally certified” — a score given to simply considered one of seven candidates through the 2022 major election. Which means the group believes every of this 12 months’s candidates possesses “distinctive skilled skill, expertise, competence, integrity and/or temperament to carry out the judicial operate.”

The next is a short take a look at every race by numerical order, with the candidates for the contested seats listed alphabetically by final identify.

Workplace No. 19

Rosy Meyerowitz is a San Diego Superior Court docket commissioner who’s the one candidate on the poll for this seat.

Commissioners are attorneys chosen by the court docket’s judges and given powers to listen to and make selections in sure household and juvenile court docket instances, in addition to legal, site visitors, small claims and illegal detainer instances.

Meyerowitz was born in Mexico Metropolis however moved to San Diego at a younger age, she informed The San Diego Union-Tribune. Whereas in legislation faculty at California Western, from which she graduated in 2009, she clerked for the California Legal professional Basic’s Workplace, the California Innocence Venture, and the San Diego County District Legal professional’s Workplace. She then labored as a graduate legislation clerk and deputy district legal professional in San Diego for practically three years. She spent seven years working for the San Diego Superior Court docket’s authorized providers division earlier than being appointed a commissioner.

Workplace No. 38

Kelly Mertsoc, 54, is a San Diego Superior Court docket commissioner who’s the one candidate on the poll for this seat.

Mertsoc, a 2000 graduate of the Thomas Jefferson College of Regulation, informed the Union-Tribune she grew to become an authorized household legislation specialist in 2008. She labored as a household legislation solo practitioner from 2000 to 2011, when she was appointed as a court docket commissioner. In that function she has heard many varieties of instances, together with household legislation, civil, site visitors, small claims and baby assist issues. She is at the moment assigned to North County Superior Court docket listening to household legislation and restricted civil issues.

Workplace No. 41

Jodi Cleesattle, a senior assistant legal professional normal with the California Division of Justice, is operating towards Brian Erickson, a San Diego County deputy district legal professional.

Earlier than she grew to become a litigator, Cleesattle, 55, of Kensington, was a reporter at a small Ohio newspaper after which co-founded and edited for six years The Nationwide Jurist, {a magazine} for legislation college students.

A 1994 graduate of American College Washington School of Regulation, Cleesattle labored as a legislation clerk within the District of Columbia early in her profession earlier than shifting into personal follow for 12 years. She grew to become a California deputy legal professional normal in 2007, working her manner as much as a supervisor function earlier than reaching her present place of senior assistant legal professional normal.

“As a trial lawyer for 30 years, making an attempt complicated instances in state and federal courts in California and nationwide, I’ve the breadth of expertise wanted to deal with any sort of case as a decide of the San Diego Superior Court docket,” Cleesattle informed the Union-Tribune. “Much more importantly, I’ve been dedicated to serving our neighborhood, volunteering to assist essentially the most weak and taking management roles in organizations dedicated to equality and equal justice. As a decide, I’ll work laborious to verify our courts work for our neighborhood — offering equity, compassion, widespread sense, and entry to justice for all.”

Erickson, 56, of Rancho Peñasquitos, is at the moment assigned to the district legal professional’s chilly case murder division, the place he focuses on fixing long-dormant homicide instances through the use of genetic family tree.

A 1995 graduate of California Western College of Regulation, Erickson started his profession as a Tuolumne County deputy district legal professional for 2 years earlier than working six years as a deputy within the San Diego Metropolis Legal professional’s Workplace. He’s been a deputy district legal professional in San Diego the final twenty years.

“In my 29 years of expertise serving the folks of California as a deputy district legal professional and deputy metropolis legal professional, I’ve demonstrated my dedication to defending victims and safeguarding our neighborhood,” Erickson informed the Union-Tribune. “As a decide, I’ll guarantee public security by being agency however honest and looking for simply and equitable penalties for many who break the legislation. I imagine that my dedication to public security, in depth expertise, together with 110 jury trials within the Superior Court docket, and in depth bipartisan assist make me essentially the most certified candidate.”

Workplace No. 43

Koryn Sheppard, a solo practitioner of household legislation, is operating towards Valerie Summers, a San Diego County deputy district legal professional.

Sheppard, a 43-year-old East County resident, started her profession working towards each legal and household legislation, however later targeted on the latter, turning into an authorized household legislation specialist in 2018. From 2012 to 2023 she labored for six corporations as a household legislation litigator and at the moment works as a solo practitioner of household legislation. She’s additionally an adjunct professor at Thomas Jefferson College of Regulation, the place she teaches California civil process.

“The San Diego County bench has many tremendous judges with a powerful background in legal legislation,” Sheppard informed the Union-Tribune. “Nonetheless, there’s a dire want for bench officers with robust civil backgrounds. I deliver training and expertise in an space of the legislation that impacts many people, households, and kids. Household legislation offers with quite a lot of complicated points, from enterprise valuation and taxes to baby growth and psychology, from taxes to home violence. I need to assist different bench officers in household courtrooms profit from my expertise — even when I’m not in a household legislation courtroom myself, I’m able to present each my information and hard-won insights from the final fifteen years of assorted follow.”

Summers, of Encinitas, has labored her complete profession for the District Legal professional’s Workplace. That features working as assistant chief of the gang prosecution unit (2007 to 2011), as chief of the intercourse crimes and human trafficking division (2011 to 2013) and as chief of the household safety division (2013 to 2016).

She has additionally taught legal justice programs at UC San Diego since 2007 and beforehand taught related programs at California State College San Marcos from 1996 to 2005.

“Within the 35 years that I’ve had the respect of serving San Diego as a deputy district legal professional, I’ve earned a popularity for integrity, equity, and distinctive authorized information,” Summers informed the Union-Tribune. “That’s the reason 70 judges and San Diego’s most skilled protection attorneys endorse me. I’ve a confirmed report of dedication to justice and public security; that’s the reason I’m endorsed by Crime Victims United, District Legal professional Summer season Stephan, Deputy Sheriffs’ Affiliation, San Diego Police Officers’ Affiliation, and each metropolis’s legislation enforcement Police Officers’ Affiliation within the county. My expertise is unparalleled and as a Superior Court docket decide I’ll proceed my dedication to equity, justice, and public security.”