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Group Seeks To Place Christian Conservatives On California Lower Courts

By Howard M. Friedman

Yesterday's Los Angeles Times reported on an unusual campaign to unseat four San Diego (CA) trial court judges in the June 8 primary. A group calling itself "Better Courts Now" is endorsing four Christian conservative candidates for Superior Court judgeships, saying it is attempting to unify the "moral vote" and make judges accountable. The movement was the brainchild of now-deceased Zion Christian Fellowship pastor Don Hammer who campaigned for California's Proposition 8, the ban on same-sex marriage. The socially conservative Better Courts Now is backed by pastors, gun rights advocates and opponents of same-sex marriage. One of the endorsed candidates, Craig Candelore, says: "We believe our country is under assault and needs Christian values. Unfortunately, God has called upon us to do this only with the judiciary." However,San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis says that Better Courts Now threatens to undermine the independence of the judiciary.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on May 31, 2010 (boomark / email).