I spotted this interesting post by Martin Wisckol over at Total Buzz today on Westminster Councilman and judicial candidate Kermit Marsh:

JUDICIAL CANDIDATE VIOLATED CAMPAIGN LAW 26 TIMES

Judicial candidate Kermit Marsh knows what it's like to run afoul of the law - specifically, election law.

The Westminster councilman, who faces a November runoff for a Superior Court judgeship, has paid more than $7,000 in fines for being late 21 times in filing campaign-finance reports in various races dating back to 2000.

As of today, five more reports are still outstanding - including the one due just before the June election for Superior Court.

"We acknowledge that there were reporting errors and we're in the process of correcting them," Marsh said. "I thought I could do them myself and I just haven't been able to get it done. I'm trying to hire a professional treasurer and get this resolved."

Campaign watchdog Shirley Grindle said, ""It's obvious he has a scofflaw attitude." She has long complained of Marsh's delinquencies as some of the most blatant she has encountered.

Violations include campaigns for the Westminister City Council and unsuccessful bids for county supervisor, as well as his current run for judge. The reports are required by law so that voters are able to know the backers of each candidate.

"I don't think this guy is a bad guy," Grindle said. "I just don't think he has it together."

The irony of the violations by a judicial candidate isn't lost on Grindle.

"I'm concerned Mr. Marsh does not take these laws seriously, and that it might reflect on how he addresses those who come before him for breaking the law," she said.

Marsh, predictably, didn't see it quite like that.

"I don't claim to be perfect," he said. "We don't expect people to be perfect. If you are a judge, have to understand that. I don't know if we'd want a judge who'd never made a mistake."

And if, as a judge, he encountered candidates with similarly late filings?

"I would require them to pay the fine," he said.

Marsh is an attorney who has been on the Westminster City Council for 10 years. He finished second in a field of four in the June election for judge, 9.5 percentage points behind Deputy District Attorney Debra Carrillo.