Angelides Vows To Appoint Diverse Judiciary

GLENDALE, Calif. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides vowed to appoint a more diverse judiciary if elected, prompting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign to defend the governor's record.

Of the 178 judges appointed by the governor, 6 percent are Latino, 3 percent are African American and 7 percent are Asian Americans, according to Sabrina Lockhart of the governor's office. She said the numbers could be higher since it's optional for judges to declare their ethnicity.

Angelides said the judiciary needs to be more diverse.

"Our courts will do a better job if they are more diverse," Angelides said Saturday in Glendale, according to a campaign statement.

"Limiting diversity of our courts has cut off the contributions of our diverse communities, their backgrounds, their life, experiences, their cultural values and kept our courts from growing, improving, and reaching their ultimate potential," Angelides said.

Schwarzenegger's campaign said the governor was committed to judicial diversity and that his appointment record is more diverse than the Bar Association's membership.

"Gov. Schwarzenegger has appointed a higher percentage of Asian Americans and Latinos to the bench than are represented by the state Bar Association and almost twice as many African Americans," said Margaret Fortune, an advisor to the governor's re-election campaign.