Judge race enters court

Paul Clinton

The race for a county judgeship has turned into a legal battle

with two local candidates feuding over each other’s ballot

statements.

Vicki Ann Bridgman and Kelly Ann MacEachern, both Newport Beach

residents and candidates for Orange County Superior Court judgeship

No. 22, filed the dueling legal challenges last week, court records

show.

A hearing in the case is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. today in Orange

County Superior Court.

MacEachern, in an Aug. 22 complaint, accused Bridgman of making a

series of claims that are “false, misleading or inconsistent” with

the state’s election code.

Three days earlier, Bridgman made a similar legal argument in an

Aug. 19 legal filing. Both candidates filed their candidate

statements on Aug. 8.

When contacted Monday, Bridgman defended her claims and said she

hadn’t seen MacEachern’s request to have a judge “strike the

offending comments” from her statement.

“I can’t comment on what I haven’t seen,” Bridgman said.

“Everything in my statement is honest and truthful.”

In her complaint, MacEachern questioned what she says is

Bridgman’s claim that she has received the “endorsements of various

attorney organizations,” as well as Rep. Chris Cox, who represents

Newport Beach.

In her ballot statement, Bridgman said she has earned the support

of Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona, as well as “leadership in the

Assn. of Orange County Deputy District Attorneys, the Orange County

Attorneys’ Assn., the California Prosecutors’ Assn.” and other

groups.

In written statements, attorneys’ association President

Christopher Kralick, who is also the vice president of the

prosecutors’ group, said the groups have not endorsed either

candidate.

Bridgman also said Cox “described me as superbly qualified.” Cox

sent letters to both candidates congratulating them on their victory

in the March 5 primary. Because neither candidate received more than

50% of the vote, they must face off during a Nov. 5 runoff.

In an Aug. 14 letter to Bridgman, Cox said he sent a similar

letter to MacEachern and used “the same words about the other

candidate seeking this office.”

Cox sent another letter to Bridgman on Aug. 20, after discussing

her ballot statement over the phone.

“I appreciate your willingness to remove the references to me in

your ballot statement, if it is within your power to do so, as we

discussed by phone yesterday,” Cox wrote.

Once the ballot statements are filed and certified with Orange

County Registrar of Voters Rosalyn Lever, they cannot be altered

unless by order of a judge.

“We cannot allow any changes,” Lever said. “It’s up to the judge.”

Among the other claims, MacEachern objects to Bridgman’s statement

that she “won the March primary with 46.6% of the vote.”

Bridgman, a deputy district attorney, also says she has prosecuted

“gang members, drug peddlers, rapists and robbers.” MacEachern

disputes that claim too, alleging that Bridgman has appeared in court

on those cases only to set hearing dates and never led the district

attorney’s case.

Bridgman referred questions about the specific claims to her

attorney, Darryl R. Wold.

“I assume everything she said in her statement is accurate,” Wold

said. “Most of these complaints are highly technical and nitpicky.”

Wold said the claim against MacEachern’s statement was filed three

days earlier as a preemptive move. Scott Zimmon filed the complaint

on behalf of Bridgman.

“We didn’t want to create any publicity for it if MacEachern

didn’t initiate it herself,” Wold said. “We wouldn’t have taken any

action.”

It alleges that MacEachern, a deputy district attorney who lives

in Corona del Mar, falsely claims she was named Outstanding Orange

County Prosecutor.

The lawsuit also claims MacEachern filed “extraneous material” on

the statement that is not permitted, including a long list of

endorsements and praise from the Los Angeles Times.

Neither MacEachern nor her attorney could be reached for comment

on the allegations before press time.

* PAUL CLINTON covers the environment and politics. He may be

reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at paul.clinton@-latimes.com.