Now that we are finished with No. 12, let's shift the focus to the next judicial race - Superior Court Judge, Office No. 4.

This race will be between Nick Thompson, a decorated soldier, and Michael Bartlett, a litigator.

Currently working as a deputy district attorney, Thompson has earned the endorsement of his boss - T-Rack and the incumbent judge who is retiring at the end of his term.

Unlike our coverage of Office No. 12, there is more firework in the competition between Nick Thompson and his opponent, which is good.  Thompson also challenged his opponent's candidate statement on the ground of inaccuracy.  You can get more details by reading all of Thompson's responses to my questions below.

I met Thompson only once and was impressed with the image that he projected while delivering a speech to a room full of conservative activists.  Thompson, a Bronze Star recipient for his services in Iraq and Bosnia, is also endorsed by the California Republican Lawyers Association and most recently, by the California Republican Assembly.

As of the March 17 financial report, Thompson has raised only $5,135, but loaned himself a whopping $101,500.  He already burned through $60,398 but again like other judicial candidates, it was spent on filing fee, candidate statement, and slates.  His cash on hand is $56,277.

Thompson's campaign is managed by long time OC political operative Brett Barbre of Barbre & Associates.

When I asked Thompson why voters in Orange County should elect him Judge over his opponent, his response was:

My broad base of experience, both in life and in the legal profession, has given me the solid and diverse background that is required for a good judge. Having come from a large familey (9 kids) with an educator father and stay-at-home mother, I had to put myself through school. Against school recommendations, I had to work in a warehouse for half a day in the early morning hours in order to pay for books, tuition, etc. I have worked in mental health, criminal - prosecution & defense, dependency & juvenile, business litigation, corporate formation, family law, etc. My entire career has actually been spent in the courts. The appx. 80 judges throughout the state that have endorsed me, have done so because they know me and want me to join them on the bench.  They believe that I have the skill, knowledge, familiarity with trial and hearing procedure and rules of evidence that many civil lawyers lack from rarely being in a contested hearing. None of these judges know my opponent.  The most significant factor that I believe makes me more qualified is my military experience which has given me the importance of attention to detail and accuracy and integrity in words and deeds.

My opponent first claimed, even under oath on the ballot statement, that he was inspired to continue public service by his great-great-great grandfather, Gov Washington Bartlett. This ancestor turned out to be a racist uncle. My opponent also testified under oath at the hearing challenging his ballot statement that he didn't know if the Lincoln Club was a Republican (partisan) organization. Bartlett's assertion that he wanted to be a public servant, which led him to become a city attorney is also misleading. He has always been a private attorney - contracted or hired by a city. This would be similar to a paving company claiming public service when a city hires it to repave a road.

On which experience was the most rewarding for him, soldier or prosecutor:

Each of my careers have been rewarding in different aspects of my life. Being a soldier has fulfilled a lifelong desire to serve my country and has made me a wel-rounded, disciplined individual. My service to my community as a gang task force prosecutor has probably been the most rewarding because I have had a direct impact on my own neighborhood in making it a better and safer place for people to live and businesses to thrive. The job is not complete, however, and i am committed to do my part to frustrate the recruitment and criminal enterprises of street gangs and identity thieves. In my job I worked directly out of the police department and with gang detectives, probation officers, etc and found this to be effective and rewarding as well.

On who is his favorite Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court:

My favorite current justice is Chief Justice Roberts for his conservatism, professionalism and intellect. He has remained above reproach and seems to be a unifying figure on the bench.

On how much money he anticipate needing to be victorious in the June election:

My projected campaign costs are: $150,000.00

On his opponent's claim that over 60% of the cases before the court is civil matters yet the majority of the current judges on the bench came from the District Attorney's Office:

This claim is misleading, as have others been. "Civil" matters encompass a wide range of legal issues presented to the courts.  Business litigation is not predominant over criminal mattes which are required by law to have priority over civil trials, if necessary. The variety of "civil" cases include probate, mental health (conservatorships & guardianships - formerly known as the LPS calendar that I became familiar with during law school as an interviewer/investigator), family law (which I handled in my first few years of practice), Dependency (I have 6 yrs of experience in that court), complex civil (which I handled as a civil environmental enforcement prosecutor). etc, etc.  The real issue is having judges who know how a case is to be presented and who knows the Evidence Code inside out. DA's tend to have this experience. The rules of evidence are the same for all types of cases heard in court.

For more information on the Nick Thompson for Judge campaign, you can  visit his website at www.nickthompson.com.  For a brief look at his professional experience, click here for his resume.