Mike Bartlett finally responded to my questions yesterday, hence we are now moving back to the Superior Court Judge, Office No. 4 race between he and Nick Thompson.

Michael Bartlett is a business attorney from Dana Point.  Bartlett has received numerous endorsements from political heavyweights in South County like Congressman John Campbell, Senator Tom Harman and Assemblywoman Mimi Walters.

As of the March 17 financial report, Bartlett has raised $41,703 and loaned his campaign $50,250.  He already spent $39,875 on signs, filling fee and candidate statement.  His cash on hand is $39,127.

The Michael Bartlett campaign is managed by Scott Hart.  Scott is also managing the campaigns of Kermit Marsh and Jon Fish.  However, some of my sources in South County are telling me that the true driving force behind the campaign is the candidate's wife, Dana Point Mayor Pro Tem Lisa Bartlett.

From securing political endorsements, to organizing precinct walks, Lisa is playing a key role in every aspect of the campaign. I asked him why the voters of Orange County should elect him Judge over his opponent and his response was:

I am a U.S. Navy veteran who served as a Petty Officer during the Vietnam war.  When I received my honorable discharge from the Navy I came home, and with the help of the GI Bill I put myself through college at USC. After graduation I enrolled at Pepperdine University Law School. Once again, I used the GI Bill and worked part-time to pay for my education. I graduated in the top 10% of my class and I was on the Law Review. After graduation I passed the CA Bar exam and received employment offers from several law firms in Orange County and Los Angeles County.

I accepted employment at a municipal law firm in Orange County. In that position I was appointed the Deputy City Attorney of Laguna Beach and the Deputy City Attorney of Stanton. In those positions I gained extensive knowledge and experience in municipal law, which included all facets of municipal government. I was also privileged to work with police chiefs and police officers in their efforts to keep our community safe.

After several years, I left the law firm and was appointed City Attorney of San Clemente. In that position I was the sole legal representative of the City for approximately five years. As the City Attorney I sat with and advised the Planning Commission and City Council on all matters, and my firm handled the City's litigation matters. In this position I gained extensive experience in all areas of municipal law, and I worked closely with the San Clemente Police Department in its anti-gang activities.

In the past 25 years my practice has included the representation of a number of very large real estate companies and manufacturing companies. In addition, I have had extensive courtroom experience in both court trials and jury trials. I have represented clients in virtually all areas of the civil law, including everything from adoptions to zoning matters and patent litigation. I am also licensed to practice law in the State of Washington.

More than 75% of all judges now sitting in the Orange County Superior Court are former Deputy District Attorneys. At the same time, more than 60% of the Superior Court's workload is concerned with civil cases. Clearly, more judges with civil law experience are needed on the court. While most of the former Deputy District Attorneys on the bench work hard and are interested in doing a good job, they come to the bench with a legal career that does not usually include any experience in civil law. Judge John Adams urged me to run for the Superior Court because of his belief that the court needs more judges who have civil law experience. The experience that most people have with the court is during a contract dispute, during a probate or elder law matter, or during a marital dissolution or child custody matter. These kinds of civil cases present issues that are dealt with every day by civil law attorneys, but which are never dealt with by Deputy District Attorneys.

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

I have two favorites. The first is John Marshall. He was appointed by President John Adams to the court, and he was the first Chief Justice to establish the courts as the one branch of government that has the final say on what a law means, and whether a law is constitutional. My other favorite is John Roberts, the current Chief Justice. Justice Roberts, in my opinion, will ultimately establish himself as the greatest Chief Justice we have ever had.

On which particular position was the most rewarding for him throughout his legal career:

I enjoy helping people, so the most rewarding position I ever had was City Attorney of San Clemente. In that position I not only helped the City in its efforts to grow and prosper, that position also gave me the opportunity to work with the citizens of San Clemente. During my service I regularly performed pro bono work for local citizens, including work for the local thrift organizations and the Boys and Girls Club. I have continued my charitable work and my pro bono work throughout my career.

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

One of the unfortunate things about running for Superior Court is the cost. Just the filing fee and the 200-word ballot statement cost almost $24,000.00. I don't think the candidate with the most money always wins (Pat Bates vs Cassie DeYoung, for example), but any meaningful judicial campaign in Orange County will cost at least $125,000.00. Many judicial candidates spend more than this. I expect to spend at least $150,000.00 on my campaign.

For more information on the Mike Bartlett for Judge campaign, you can visit www.bartlett4judge.com.

For Red County readers who might be wondering why I haven't put up a profile of their favorite judicial candidate, the simple answer is: they haven't responded to my email.