Former Pomona Student Turned Judge Returns to Teach Political Science

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Dallas Holmes plans to teach political science at UC Riverside and Pomona College. Judge Holmes graduated from Pomona in '62, London School of Economics in '64 and Boalt Hall in '67.

I commend Judge Holmes for deciding to teach. So often public servants retire to work at private foundations. That Judge Holmes continues to serve long until his old age speaks well of him.

According to The Press-Enterprise, some of his rulings have done wonderful things -- kicking out drug dealers and encouraging the disclosure of public documents. He allowed a necessary hospital to be built, despite the nay saying of N.I.M.B.Ys. He delivered a good victory for economic liberty when he let a brokerage firm continue.

Unfortunately, Judge Holmes has ruled poorly on one of the most important issues of our time -- the defense of the innocent from child molesters. In a sting conducted by Perverted Justice and the Riverside County Sheriffs Department, Judge Dallas Holmes dismissed a case against U.S. Marine William Lawrence Havey after a jury deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquittal. (On a side issue, now correct me if I'm wrong, but in a case involving child molesters, aren't the People allowed another hearing? I was under the assumption that a decision has to be unanimous for a conviction or acquittal.)

Regardless of whether or not that question is the case, I have to wonder about Judge Holmes's insults to Perverted Justice, the expert witnesses that have helped convict 222 sex offenders (as of December 1, 2007) throughout the nation, befit a man of his caliber.

Judge Holmes called the Perverted Justice expert witnesses who testified against Havey, "odd," "weird," and "repulsive."

Though I make no apologies for Perverted Justice -- I have not made up my mind on whether or not they are a public good -- I must ask myself why Judge Holmes felt the need to be verbally abusive to the very people who have been successful in identifying dozens of child molesters.

In fact, as Linda Dunn, a chief deputy district attorney in notes, the strength of the subsequent cases -- 19 men have entered guilty pleas and a 20th was convicted -- prove the strength of the Riverside County cases. Those convictions could never have happened without the help of the Perverted Justice employees.

I don't know why Judge Holmes ruled the way he did. I was not in the courtroom and And lest I run the risk of Monday morning quarterbacking, I'm not entirely sure I would have come down differently. But I do think it might be improper for a judge to call the testimony of a witness "odd," "weird," and "repulsive." When a judge insults the veracity of a statement, be it during proceedings or in an opinion, he ought not comment on what would otherwise be an ongoing case.

Luckily when Judge Holmes comes to teach at Pomona College, I'll have the opportunity to ask him this question (and other questions.) Congratulations to Pomona for getting such a high-calliber professor.