Angelides Pledges to Bring Diversity to the Judiciary

GLENDALE, CA – California State Treasurer and Democratic nominee for Governor Phil Angelides today pledged to reverse Governor Schwarzenegger's abysmal judicial appointments record and bring diversity to the California judiciary when he is Governor. 

To date, Schwarzenegger has made 155 judicial appointments. However, only nine of those appointments have come from the Latino community and only nine from the Asian Pacific Islander community.  Of his 155 judicial appointees, only 6 have been African American.

"Our courts will do a better job if they are more diverse," said Angelides.  "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 was joined by Assemblymember Judy Chu and representatives from the Mexican American Bar Association, Latina Lawyers Association, and the Asian American Action Fund in his call to bring diversity to the bench. 

"In California, the nation's most diverse state, a state where we are majority minority, appointing only 24 minorities to judgeships is simply unacceptable," said Angelides.  "As Governor, in my role of making judicial appointments, I will transform that branch of government into one that reflects the many communities who make our state strong."

For more information, please visit www.Angelides.com.