Anaheim Official Gets Municipal Court Seat

Anaheim City Atty. William P. Hopkins, a landslide loser in a 1982 Orange County judicial race and a loser by default in one before that, was appointed to the Central Municipal Court bench Thursday by Gov. George Deukmejian.

Hopkins, 63, said it is uncertain how soon he will start his new job as a judge on the court in Santa Ana.

“The presiding judge would like me to begin March 4. She’s already got me a courtroom and caseload,” he said. “But I haven’t had a chance to talk to the mayor” about leaving the Anaheim post.

Expressed Surprise

A longtime Republican, Hopkins said he submitted an application for a judge appointment shortly after Deukmejian took office. Still, he said he was surprised Tuesday when he was informed that he was being seriously considered and was surprised again Wednesday when he received a telephone call saying he would get an appointment.

“I was sort of wondering. I knew there were vacancies and I was hoping I’d get a telephone call,” he said. “But you can hope for a phone call for a long time.”

Hopkins had long sought a spot among Orange County’s state judiciary.

His misfortune in a quashed 1980 race inspired a change in state law to prohibit a governor from making a judicial appointment that has the effect of canceling an election contest that is already set.

Brown Appointment

Former Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. did just that in 1980. Hopkins had filed to run for a North Orange County Municipal Court seat occupied by Judge Leonard Goldstein. Shortly before the election, however, Brown promoted Goldstein to the Superior Court and promptly appointed Myron Brown to fill the Municipal Court vacancy. Because the election filing deadline was then past, Judge Brown (now a Superior Court judge) did not have to stand for election in 1980, and Hopkins was left with no office to run for.

Although Hopkins insisted he wasn’t bitter about that series of events, Gov. Brown’s ploy--and the fact Goldstein had been appointed by the unpopular governor--became the major issue two years later when Hopkins challenged Goldstein for the Superior Court seat.

However, Hopkins won only 39% of the vote against the incumbent.

Hopkins and his campaign organization contributed $1,000 last year to GOP legislative candidates, according to Legi-Tech, an independent data-gathering service.

GOP Contributions

Those contributions totaled $550 to state Sen. Edward Royce (R-Anaheim); $250 to state Sen. John Seymour (R-Anaheim); $100 to Assemblyman John Lewis (R-Orange) and $100 to Ruthelyn Plummer, an unsuccessful candidate for a south Orange County Assembly seat.

Hopkins has been city attorney in Anaheim since 1976 and was an assistant or deputy in the office for eight years prior to that. He earned his law degree in 1967 at USC.

Municipal Court judges earn $66,000 annually.