Judge's court decisions should cause concern for voters

Placer County voters have an important decision to make in a judicial election this June. I am urging you to vote for the only qualified candidate, prosecutor Dave Bass. I was a Superior Court Judge for close to 27 years and have been a resident of Placer County for nearly 40 years. I have carefully examined the record of Gov. Gavin Newsom-appointed Judge Leon Dixson as well as the qualifications and court experience of prosecutor Dave Bass, and it's not a close call. Bass has my support as well as the campaign help and support of my husband. We are not alone. Bass has been endorsed by District Attorney Morgan Gire, Sheriff Wayne Woo, the Rocklin and Roseville Police Officer's Associations, the District Attorneys Association, Crime Victims United, and most revealing the Placer County Court Clerks and Court Reporters, the very people who work in the courtroom with Judge Dixson. To be clear, Judge Dixson is not running for reelection, as some might want you to believe. He was appointed by Newsom and is now standing for election for the first time. You should reject the proposition that it is somehow unethical or improper to criticize or question Judge Dixson's decisions. In fact, that is exactly what you should do in casting your ballot. I have carefully examined the records and reports, spoken with attorneys, members of law enforcement and courtroom clerks and court reporters to understand why they all support Bass for Placer County Superior Court Judge. Here are but a few examples that should cause great concern about Judge Dixson's suitability to continue to serve as a judge: In 2024, a 30-year-old male spent days at the Galleria Mall secretly filming the buttocks of multiple girls between the ages of 12 and 17. Once confronted by law enforcement, the perpetrator admitted to the conduct and also acknowledged he was a pedophile. In court, the prosecutor asked Judge Dixson for a stay-away order from children. After hearing the defendant was a music teacher, Judge Dixson continued to allow the defendant to have contact with children provided at least 15 were present. At the time, this defendant was an "at-will" employee of Roseville High School, interacting with the exact age group he was accused of filming. He was subsequently convicted and is now a registered sex offender. This lack of judgment and willingness to put vulnerable young girls at risk cannot be a matter of reasonable minds differing. This is a classic case of abuse of discretion. In another case, Judge Dixson granted "judicial diversion" to an individual who had crashed his car into a highway median after admitting he had been drinking the day before and had fallen asleep. A consent search of the vehicle revealed a Glock semi-automatic weapon with an illegal extended clip of ammunition. This defendant had a prior conviction for interfering with law enforcement. Judge Dixson gave this defendant six months of diversion wherein he was ordered to obey the law and report any address change. Is this the kind of judge Placer County residents should trust with making the right decisions? In addition, Judge Dixson has shown unreasonable leniency to retail organized theft defendants as well as to defendants involved in the solicitation of prostitution. Again, although Judge Dixson has the discretion to make these orders, are they reasonable and made with common sense and sound judgment? Finally, it is common knowledge that Judge Dixson is unable to complete his work in a timely fashion. Why should that concern Placer County voters? Because we are spending precious taxpayer dollars to pay overtime to the courtroom clerks and Deputy Sheriff's who must stay while court is in session and finish the work generated in court. Informed criticism is a moral and civic imperative in a democratic society. Voters cannot make informed choices if judicial decisions are treated as untouchable or immune from debate. Transparency and accountability require openness and a willingness to engage in examining the judgment and decision making of judges. I hope my comments will help you in deciding to vote for Dave Bass for judge. Maryanne G. Gilliard is a retired Sacramento Superior Court judge.