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Lisa C. Schall
Lisa C. Schall was a judge for the Superior Court of San Diego County in California.[1] She retired in 2018.
Schall began serving on the San Diego Municipal Court in 1985 and was elevated to the superior court in August 1989 by former Governor George Deukmejian.[2][3][4]
Elections
2014
See also: California judicial elections, 2014
Schall ran for re-election to the Superior Court of San Diego County.
Primary: She was successful in the primary on June 3, 2014, receiving 57.93 percent of the vote. She competed against Carla Keehn.
Evaluation
The San Diego County Bar Association's Judicial Election Evaluation Committee rated Schall as "Well Qualified" in 2014.[5]
Education
Schall earned a joint bachelor's and J.D. degree in 1977 from Western State University College of Law (now known as the Thomas Jefferson School of Law). She also attended California State University, San Diego.[3]
Career
- 1989-2018: Judge, Superior Court of San Diego County
- 1985-1989: Judge, San Diego Municipal Court
- 1977-1985: Assistant district attorney, San Diego County District Attorney's Office[3]
Noteworthy events
Challenger's billboards removed (2014)
- See also: JP Election Brief: Candidate attacks
Schall's opponent in the 2014 election for San Diego County Superior Court judge was federal prosecutor Carla Keehn. She reportedly paid $14,000 to place ads on billboards owned by Clear Channel for 30 days, in advance of the election.[6] According to an article on the website for public broadcasting station KPBS, the billboards said:
| “ | Vote for Carla Keehn...The only candidate for this office not convicted of a crime. Because no one is above the law, not even judges.[7] | ” |
| —Carla Keehn campaign[8] | ||
Keehn's ads referred to Schall's October 2007 DUI charge. Schall later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving. The California Commission on Judicial Performance publicly admonished Schall following her plea. The commission previously issued private admonishments of Schall for her behavior on the bench in 1995 and 1999.[3] Despite these past issues, the San Diego County Bar Association rated Schall as "well-qualified" for the 2014 judicial elections. Keehn was rated as "qualified."[9]
An article in the San Diego Free Press indicated Keehn’s campaign reserved the billboards five months earlier. An April 21 email from an account executive at Clear Channel, suggested changes for the billboard ad to emphasize the fact that Keehn was "the only candidate not convicted of a crime." The ads were displayed on billboards beginning on May 7, but by May 9 they had been removed.[10]
On the morning of May 9, Keehn’s campaign reported receiving an email from Clear Channel with photos which commented positively on the billboards. However, later in the day the company emailed the campaign again, indicating "we have a problem."[10] Clear Channel initially said the billboards would remain up through the weekend, but then said they would be taken down "ASAP."[10] In an email response to the Free Press the following week, Clear Channel indicated Keehn’s ads were taken down because they did not follow the company’s protocol for political ads.[10]
Keehn says she felt the removal of the billboards was a violation of her right to free speech. However, she said she would continue to "challenge Schall to stand up for what’s right."[8]
Schall issued a statement defending her record. Regarding the billboards, she added the following:
| “ | I have no information regarding Ms. Keehn's campaign strategies and advertisement efforts.[7] | ” |
| —Judge Lisa C. Schall[11] | ||
Challenger loses endorsement (2014)
When Carla Keehn first announced she would run for judge in San Diego County, in October 2013, that seat was open. She had obtained the support of the Tom Homann Law Association on whose board Keehn was a member. However, when incumbent judge Lisa Schall decided to seek re-election, Keehn received an e-mail from association president Nicholas J. Fox indicating the group would withdraw its support. He also asked Keehn to step down from her board position while she ran for office.[12]
| “ | Openly challenging a sitting judge can be seen by some as undermining the support and relationship we have worked so hard to build. . .[7] | ” |
| —Nicholas J. Fox, President of the Tom Homann Law Association[4] | ||
Fox says he did not write the e-mail to try to force Keehn to quit the race. However, Keehn claims that's exactly what she believed Fox meant.
| “ | I'm getting a lot of pressure not to run.[7] | ” |
| —Carla Keehn[4] | ||
Schall censured for 'wet reckless' plea (2008)
Schall received a public admonishment from the California Commission on Judicial Performance on September 5, 2008, after she entered a plea of guilty to alcohol-related reckless driving in March 2008.[3]
The admonishment stemmed from an incident which reportedly took place on September 12, 2007. Schall was arrested by an Escondido police officer after he observed her driving the wrong way on a divided, four-lane highway.[3] She was initially charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood alcohol level over the legal maximum of .08 percent. According to an article in the Metropolitan News-Enterprise, Schall "allegedly failed a field sobriety test, and a blood test performed within the hour indicated a blood alcohol level of approximately 0.09 percent."[3]
Schall given public admonishment (1999)
On October 14, 1999, the California Commission on Judicial Performance issued a public admonishment of Schall for her mishandling of a contempt proceeding against an individual in her court. According to the commission, Schall ordered the defendant removed from the courtroom during the proceeding. Next, upon a comment made by the bailiff, Schall found the defendant in contempt of court and sentenced her to five days in jail. The commission found Schall's actions were an abuse of the contempt power because she failed to follow the proper procedures required to find an individual in contempt of court. Schall told the commission this was the only time she had found someone in contempt; however, she agreed to accept the sanction of a public admonishment.[13]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ California Courts, "Trial Courts Roster," accessed April 9, 2014
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "3 judges appointed to superior court positions," August 9, 1989
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Metropolitan News-Enterprise, "San Diego judge publicly censured over 'wet-reckless' plea," September 17, 2008, accessed February 27, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The San Diego Union-Tribune, "Judge candidate feels gaveled down," February 21, 2014
- ↑ San Diego County Bar Association, "2014 San Diego Judge Elections: Judicial Candidate Ratings," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ ABC10 News, "Judicial candidate Carla Keehn wants to know who took her billboards down," May 12, 2014
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 KPBS, "San Diego Judicial Candidate Says Rights Violated When Billboards Removed," May 13, 2014
- ↑ San Diego County Bar Association, "2014 San Diego Judge Elections: Judicial Candidate Ratings," accessed May 14, 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 San Diego Free Press, "Clear Channel Responds to Political Pressure, Quashes Billboard Ads for Judicial Candidate," May 12, 2014
- ↑ East County Magazine, "Judgment Calls? Controversy Continues as Billboards Come Down in Keehn vs. Schall Judicial Race," May 15, 2014
- ↑ San Diego Free Press, "Thou Shalt Not Challenge a Sitting Judge and Other Legal Oddities (Updated)," February 28, 2014
- ↑ Commission on Judicial Performance, "Judicial Peformance Commission Issues Public Admonishment of Judge Lisa Guy-Schall," October 14, 1999, accessed February 27, 2014
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