Daniel Kern

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Daniel Kern

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Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 5, 2024

Education

Law

Whittier Law School, 2002

Personal

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Daniel Kern ran for election for judge of the Superior Court of Orange County in California. He lost in the primary on March 5, 2024.

Kern completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Daniel Kern earned a law degree from Whittier Law School in 2002. His career experience includes working as a attorney.

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Orange County, California (2024)

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Superior Court of Orange County

Whitney Bokosky won election outright against Daniel Kern in the primary for Superior Court of Orange County on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Whitney Bokosky (Nonpartisan)	73.5	403,272
	Submit photo	Daniel Kern (Nonpartisan)	26.5	145,237

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 548,509
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Kern in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Daniel Kern completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kern's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Daniel J. Kern, Candidate for Orange County Superior Court Judge

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Only 25% of Judges serving on the Family Law Panel in 2023 had Family Law litigation experience as Attorneys. Judges assigned to the Family Law Panel too often seek reassignment because they do not wish to remain working in Family Law, or never imagined themselves presiding over Family Law in the first place.
• From 2014 to 2022 Clearance Rate of Family Law cases fell over 30% and Disposition Rate was down about 50%.
• The solution, which has not been broadly accepted by the legal community despite common sense, is to recruit and retain Attorneys who have practiced Family Law for either Appointment or Election to Superior Court Judge.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Family Law, and staffing of the Judiciary.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The desire to use one's time and service to improve an area of government, thus better serving the citizenry, is what is most important in an elected official.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

If elected, I would be a successful office holder because I take a bottom up view of the Judicial Branch of our government. Law and adjudication of disputes can be very sophisticated, and require deep research. That said, the vast majority of disputes require objectivity, compassion, and the ability to simplify complicated terms and concepts for the public in such a way as to not lose the precise meaning of those terms and concepts.

The majority of litigants did not go to Law School. This does not mean that they are not capable of understanding the rules and laws that are being applied to their case. Quite the opposite. Most litigants, if a Judge is capable of meeting them where they are, and explaining why they are being held accountable for their actions, will accept that accountability. Moreover, most litigants will learn not to repeat their mistakes.
I am less concerned with people who can afford to spend one hundred thousand dollars litigating their disputes than I am with the people who are missing work that day to come to Court, or who have spent or borrowed five or ten thousand dollars to hire an attorney because they had no other way to resolve their issues.

Access to Justice means an approach that serves everyday working people effectively and efficiently. If that goal of serving the middle majority is accomplished, then the issues affecting the very poor or the very wealthy out on the margins of society are much easier to address.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities of a Trial Judge are to follow the law, matriculate cases to disposition in as effective and efficient manner as possible so as to preserve public resources, and to preside over fair and unbiased proceedings civilly and courteously.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

It is little known or understood by the public how often a bench officer must serve not only as a finder of law, but a finder of fact when trying a case. In non-jury cases, the Judge is also the one single juror, and the party responsible for enforcement. Most Americans know the expression that a person should not be "Judge, Jury, and Executioner." I think the public would be surprised how often a Trial Judge is precisely all three.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

The Court has a particular scope and function in society which is to adjudicate cases and controversies either between private parties or in the public interest. It cannot, nor should it try, to be all things to all people. The Court cannot replace the work of social workers or mental health professionals. Court staff is neither qualified nor charged to perform those duties.

Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?

Judge J.E.T. Rutter, who I never had the pleasure of meeting, worked to establish a Family Law Panel in Orange County where there was none before. He is credited as a sort of founding father in this regard. A key part of his work was to staff that new Panel of Judges with people who believed in his idea, and wanted to serve Family Law litigants and Attorneys. I believe that aspect of recruitment needs to be revived, and is the solution to the problems facing Family Law today.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Empathy, and elimination of bias are paramount qualities for a Judge. Understanding why someone behaved the way that they did, for good or ill, is crucial in determining what orders will best serve the parties to the litigation, and the interest of the public.

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

I was rated "Not Qualified" in 2024

What is your primary concern about today's legal system in your state?

My primary concern is that there are too many vacancies in the Judiciary throughout the state, and that the public cannot get access to justice as a result. There are far too few bench officers to serve the population to begin with. It is unacceptable that vacancies that are already paid for in the budget should be a persistent issue.

Do you believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection of a judge’s ability?

No. The ratings have almost nothing to do with the ability of the candidate to perform the work of a judicial officer.
I currently serve as a Temporary Judge on a volunteer basis adjudicating live cases serving the public. It would be the simplest thing in the world to OBSERVE my work on the bench, and get first hand knowledge of my efficiency and judicial demeanor while interacting with the public. To my knowledge this is not the practice of local bar associations.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2024 Elections

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External links

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Candidate

Superior Court of Orange County

Website

Footnotes

California courts

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Federal courts:

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California

State courts:

California Supreme Court • California Courts of Appeal • California Superior Courts

State resources:

Courts in California • California judicial elections • Judicial selection in California