The Tribune endorses Hernaldo Baltodano for Superior Court judge

It's an unwritten law of California's justice system: You do not challenge an incumbent judge at the ballot box. And if you do, you'd better have a darned good reason.

Yet this election year, several sitting judges in California are facing challenges, including one in San Luis Obispo County.

Prosecutor Andy Cadena of the District Attorney’s Office is challenging Judge Hernaldo Baltodano, who was appointed to the Superior Court bench in November following a 15-year career in employment law, handling cases that included wage theft, discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination.

On the bench, he's been assigned to hear criminal misdemeanor cases and he presides over the behavioral health treatment court.

Baltodano's lack of previous criminal law experience has been the crux of Cadena's campaign: He's questioned whether Baltodano knows criminal law well enough to make proper procedural decisions; whether he's had experience dealing with victims of crime; and if he can tell when criminal defendants are "pulling his leg."

Cadena has taken jabs not only at Baltodano, but also at the judges who support him. (Seventy judges in California, including all San Luis Obispo County judges, have endorsed Baltodano.)

“You think 70 judges would come to the rescue of a judge who’s running against a humble public servant? Why do you think that happens? Because they know that one of the people up here doesn’t have the requisite experience. …” Cadena said at a recent candidates' forum sponsored by the Latino Outreach Council.

Baltodano’s response: “It’s not rocket science. The skills you learn are fungible, and you need to be humble and not assume you know everything.”

We agree.

It's also worth noting that it is not unusual for a judge to have specialized in one area of the law as an attorney, only to hear other types of cases after taking the bench.

To imply that a lack of criminal law experience amounts to a disqualification is not true in general, and especially not true in Baltodano's case. We’ve observed him in the courtroom and in campaigning, and we’ve found him to be smart, efficient and respectful, but also assertive when he needs to be.

Plus, he's a workhorse; he’s among the first to arrive and the last to leave the courthouse.

In other words, Baltodano has the demeanor we look for in a judge.

Cadena, on the other hand, has a self-confidence and swagger that undoubtedly serve him well in prosecuting cases.

In campaigning, too, he's been aggressive, taking on not only Baltodano, but also criticizing a judicial appointment system he believes is too politicized.

That can backfire; successful judges need to get along with one another, and Cadena has been undiplomatic in some of his comments directed at the San Luis Obispo County bench, such as his criticism of judges endorsing their colleagues.

Again, Cadena's hard-driving, adversarial style is fine when arguing a case in court, but it may not translate into making him an effective judge.

There is a reason Baltodano was appointed by the Gov. Brown and endorsed by all local judges, and it transcends party politics.

It's about merit, and that's not determined simply by years of experience or number of cases won. It's also based on character, temperament and the ability of judges to inspire trust in those who look to the courts for fair and impartial treatment.

We believe Judge Baltodano possesses all those traits. The Tribune strongly urges voters to elect Hernaldo Baltodano to a full term on the Superior Court bench.

This story was originally published May 25, 2018 at 7:43 PM with the headline "The Tribune endorses Hernaldo Baltodano for Superior Court judge."