Michael B. Harper
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Michael B. Harper is a judge for the Superior Court of Trinity County in Trinity County, California. He was appointed to the court by Governor Jerry Brown on June 18, 2014 to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge James P. Woodward.[1] He was re-elected in 2016.
Elections
2016
California held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. There was a primary on June 7, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was March 31, 2016. A total of 351 seats were up for election. Incumbent Michael B. Harper defeated James Underwood in the election for the Trinity County Superior Court.[2]
| Trinity County Superior Court Judge, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Michael B. Harper Incumbent |
68.54% | 2,427 |
| James Underwood | 31.18% | 1,104 |
| Write-in votes | 0.28% | 10 |
| Total Votes | 3,541 | |
| Source: Trinity County Registrar of Voters, "Unofficial election results," accessed June 8, 2016 | ||
Selection method
- See also: Nonpartisan election
The 1,535 judges of the California Superior Courts compete in nonpartisan races in even-numbered years. If a candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in the June primary election, he or she is declared the winner; if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff between the top two candidates is held during the November general election.[3][4][5][6]
If an incumbent judge is running unopposed in an election, his or her name does not appear on the ballot. The judge is automatically re-elected following the general election.[3]
The chief judge of any given superior court is selected by peer vote of the court's members. He or she serves in that capacity for one or two years, depending on the county.[3]
Qualifications
Candidates are required to have 10 years of experience as a law practitioner or as a judge of a court of record.[3]
Education
Harper received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley and his J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.[1]
Career
- 2014-Present: Judge, Superior Court of Trinity County
- 2007-2014: District attorney, Trinity County District Attorney’s Office
- 2001-2007: Deputy district attorney, Trinity County District Attorney’s Office
- 1997-2001: Deputy district attorney, Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office
- 1993-1996: Deputy district attorney, Placer County District Attorney’s Office [1]
See also
External links
- The Superior Court of California, County of Trinity, "Superior Court of Trinity County"
- California Courts, The Judicial Branch of California, "Judges Roster"
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 CA.gov: Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr., "Governor Brown Appoints Michael B. Harper to Trinity County Superior Court," June 18, 2014
- ↑ Trinity County, CA, "Candidates List," accessed April 9, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: California," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Safeguarding California's judicial election process," August 21, 2011
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 8203," accessed May 21, 2014
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 8140-8150," accessed May 21, 2014
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