"Two of the Humboldt Superior Court Judge positions with be on the ballot during the March 2024 Presidential Primary. They will then be seated in January 2025."

I contacted Humboldt County Elections office. "Two of the Humboldt Superior Court Judge positions with be on the ballot during the March 2024 Presidential Primary. They will then be seated in January 2025."

One of those positions is Judge Gregory Elvine-Kreis who was not elected but appointed. The other one  for Judge Lawrence Killoran's position. Judge Joyce Hinrich's name has been brought up around the courthouse cooler. She is up for re-election in 2026.

Time for two qualified attorneys to run who aren't put in by the Watsons and other certain other good ole boys in the Humboldt legal world. Both Judge Hinrichs and Judge Kreis  have presided over the most chaotic court administrations and staff attrition. Kreis is an embarassment with his lawsuit and it was under his leadership that convicted upskirter and sex offender Joe Hale victimized women while complaints to Humboldt Superior Court went ignored.

The Governor, the CA Judicial Council, the Commission on Judicial Performance have the power and they have allowed Kreis to remain as Presiding Judge collecting his over inflated salary in the darkest time in local courts. The allegations are about this court and while this case is pending, Kreis gets to be in charge of the same system that decides whether those allegations are true or false and where he controls the livelihood of people with knowledge about his case and him. 

If it were up to me, I would make Assistant Presiding Judge Kelly Neel, the Presiding Judge immediately and Judge Kaleb Cockrum is next in to be Assistant Presiding Judge.

In addition to running their courts fairly and professionally, from financial and management perspective, both are excellent and would provide the efficiency and rudder needed. It will not solve every problem in the local courts because there are too many people causing the problems embedded within the system.

Last election, the voters made an excellent choice in electing Judge Steven Steward. We could use two more Judges like Judge Neel, Judge Cockrum and Judge Steward.