Seeking a superior job

Deepa Bharath

Dan McNerney’s office is a microcosm of his life, covered with

pictures of school teams he has coached, newspaper clippings of important

trials he has handled, trophies and photographs of his wife and sons.

The Newport Beach resident and Orange County senior deputy district

attorney, who has spent 15 years as a prosecutor, is seeking election as

a Superior Court judge.

McNerney said if elected, it would give him a new, different

opportunity to mete out justice in criminal cases.

“I would like to be tough on criminals and protect victims’ rights,”

he said. “We’ve had a great tradition in Orange County of having good

judges. I’d like to carry on that tradition.”

McNerney said he also would try to make things “move quickly through

the system.”

“I sincerely believe that justice delayed is justice denied,” he said.

McNerney supervises the district attorney’s felony prosecution unit at

the Orange County Central Courthouse in Santa Ana. He previously worked

in various departments in the district attorney’s office, including

homicide, sexual assault and major fraud.

He said his job satisfaction has been tremendous.

“I feel really good about what I do,” McNerney said. “By prosecuting

dangerous criminals, I’m protecting friends, family and the community. It

has been a very rewarding experience.”

The case he remembers most is the murder trial of Mario Briseno, a man

who killed two store owners who resisted his holdups.

“One of them was a very nice man, a father of two children,” McNerney

said. “The other was a grandmother who operated the family music store.”

After his trial in 1997, Briseno was sentenced to life in prison

without the possibility of parole.

“You feel the pain of the victims’ families,” McNerney said. “But

after it’s over, they come up to you and hug you. They show a lot of

appreciation because you’ve given them hope for justice.”

FYI

DAN MCNERNEY

* Age: 48

* Occupation: Orange County senior deputy district attorney

* Family: Lauren, his wife of 12 years; and two sons, Evan, 9, and

Collin, 7

* Residence: Newport Beach for 24 years

* Hometown: Birmingham, Mich.

* Education: Law degree from Western State University in Fullerton

* What he likes most about Newport Beach: “It’s an exciting place and

a great community for families. And if you have your core values in

place, you can avoid getting caught up in things like who has an ocean

view and who’s driving what car.”