EDITORIAL

The ruling this week to remove a Superior Court judge from the

November ballot is a start toward a fair election to replace Ronald C.

Kline, who is under house arrest and facing charges of child molestation

and child pornography. Now, all that is needed to ensure that voters have

a choice is for the county registrar to add Costa Mesa attorney Gay

Sandoval to the ballot.

As it stands with Kline’s name removed (the judge was among those who

asked for the change), only Dana Point attorney John Adams will appear on

the ballot. Adams, who placed second behind Kline in the March primary

(none received the 50% needed to forestall a runoff), won the right to be

on the ballot. His success at the time was a victory for voters, who

ended up with a choice of candidates.

Now, that choice is in jeopardy. Sandoval, who placed third in the

March election and was the first challenger to Kline, the one who opened

the write-in candidate door, is the obvious fix to the problem.

Sandoval -- a former Pilot columnist -- plans to ask the registrar to

make the judge vote a two-person contest. If she’s denied, she says she

plans to take her quest to the courts.

It should not have to come to that. In such an unusual set of

circumstances, allowances ought to be made in the voters’ best interest.

And that best interest always is served by giving them a choice.

Otherwise, Adams will gain the seat without winning a final, majority

victory.