Vying for a seat on the Superior Court bench is veteran prosecutor Robert Amador, who has judges, lawyers, Democrats and Republicans on his side. His opponent is Jim Miller Jr., a private practitioner from El Cajon who touts his diverse legal experience and conservative credentials.
Robert Amador
Age: 55
Marital Status: Married
Children: Four
Education: University of San Diego School of Law, University of California, Irvine
Experience: Deputy district attorney for 29 years. Has represented the prosecution in more than 250 trials on charges including murder, arson, insurance fraud and gang crimes. Led countywide Jurisdictions Unified for Drug and Gang Enforcement program for more than a decade.
Bar Rating: Well-qualified
Key Endorsements: District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, Sheriff William Gore, Mayor Jerry Sanders, San Diego Police Officers Association, and many Superior Court judges and police/fire organizations.
Motivations: “My job as a prosecutor is to do the right thing, to do justice. And I realized over a period of time that there’s only so much you can do as a prosecutor — although you can do a lot, you can help victims, you can help protect the community. But as a judge, you can do so much more.”
Website: http://www.amadorforjudge.com/
Jim Miller Jr.
Age: 42
Marital Status: Married
Children: Four
Education: Thomas Jefferson School of Law, San Diego State University
Experience: Private-practicing civil attorney with extensive family law experience. Owns his own firm. Has experience in five divisions of county court: civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile. Certified arbitrator. Represented professional athletes as NFL agent. Former Superior Court pro-tem judge.
Bar Rating: Lacking qualifications
Key Endorsements: Republican Party of San Diego, Lincoln Club of San Diego, California Republican Party, councilman and mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio, several tea party organizations.
Motivations: “Our bench in San Diego is not diverse by way of judges who have a diverse practice area before they became a judge. Almost all of them come out of the government. I’m trying to change that.”
Website: http://jimmillerforjudge.com/