ETHICS COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST JUDICIAL CANDIDATE GOSSELIN OVER DECEPTIVE SIGNS

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East County News Service

October 4, 2014 (San Diego) – An ethics complaint has been filed with the California State Bar Association against Superior Court Judicial candidate Ken Gosselin, East County Magazine has learned.

The complaint alleges that Gosselin’s campaign signs deceptively imply he is already a judge.  The signs include the text “for Judge Gosselin” with the word for in lettering too small to read from a distance. 

Gosselin admits to the ethics complaint on his Facebook page, where he advised supporters, “Until the matter is resolved, I would request that you kindly refrain from displaying any signs related to my campaign you currently have in your possession. I will keep you posted as to when and if these signs can be used in the future.”

Michael Orfield, the retired Presiding Judge on the San Diego Municipal Court, has told KPBS that Gosselin’s campaign engaged in “misrepresentation” by falsely implying he is a judge.   Orfield added that California Rules of Court, Rule 2.811 (c) specifically makes it clear that no employment relationship is established by being a judge pro tem, a position that Gosselin has held, handling traffic and small claims cases.

The campaign signs also claim that Gosselin is “law enforcement’s choice.”  In fact, the law enforcement community has split its support, with both Gosselin and one of his opponents, Brad Weinreb, each claiming significant endorsements from law enforcement.

Weinreb, currently Deputy Attorney General,  is endorsed by Sheriff Bill Gore, the San Diego County Probation Officers Association, and the San Diego Deputy District Attorney’s Association, as well as former San Diego Police Chief David Bejerano. 

Gosselin’s endorsements , according to his website, include the Deputy Sheriff’s Association of San Diego County, the Fraternal Order of Police, San Diego, and police officers’ associations from National City and Oceanside. 

Gosselin has been the center of ethical questions since  his opponent filed a legal challenge to Gosselin’s claims about his education and experience, as ECM reported.  A court stipulation required Gosselin to change his ballot statement. He claimed to be Harvard trained but merely took a mediation course there. He also claimed extensive experience hearing criminal and civil cases, when his experience was limited to small claims and traffic cases.

Gosselin has also been rated  lacking qualifications by the County Bar Association.

 


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