You be the judge

Two able candidates vie for seat on the bench

In the race for judge, Butte County has the choice between Sandra McLean, who has sat on the bench since she was appointed to that post by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006, and veteran public defender Eric “Ric” Ortner. McLean is banking on her years of experience—first in private practice, and then as judge—and Ortner hopes his decades defending a variety of Butte County’s innocent (and the guilty, too) will swing in his favor.

Let’s start with the incumbent.

McLean packs a lot of experience in her tool belt, including a degree from Georgetown University Law School; a stint as an Army nurse; and 25 years in private practice, during which time she specialized in everything from real estate to family law. A native Chicoan, McLean said she originally wanted to be a judge to make Butte County a safer place to live and work.

“A lot of my life has been involved with doing community service, including serving in the military,” she said during a recent phone interview. “I wanted to be able to work in a capacity that I could give back to my community and serve my community that would have an impact—and I was unable to do that when I was in private practice.”

McLean said she’s gained a reputation for being tough, fair and honest, and when determining the outcome of criminal cases, she takes into consideration the victims, the criminals, and the public.

“Every day I come to work and I am confronted with making decisions that affect the community I live in, whether it’s in a criminal case to protect the rights of victims, while at the same time determining whether the defendant should get probation or is too dangerous to be put back in our community.”

For his part, Ortner has pointed to his 32 years as an attorney, both for civil and criminal cases, including countless jury trials.

“What I bring to this position that I’m running for as far as office, is I bring experience and I bring knowledge,” he said during a recent League of Women Voters candidates’ forum. “That experience and knowledge comes from the wide variety and background as far as cases that I have handled, both on a court-appointed as well as retained basis as an attorney.”

In a phone interview, Ortner added that he feels the breadth of support he’s received during his campaign—he’s been endorsed by fellow attorneys, law enforcement and the Paradise Post—speaks to his ability to do the job well. He said he’s ready and willing to sit as an impartial judge, viewing and assessing the evidence in order to make careful decisions.

“I decided to switch gears because I think I’ve achieved or accomplished enough in practice as I can,” he said. “It was time to take another step and based on what I’ve had in terms of success within the community, I want to return the favor and sit on the bench.”

In the few face-offs between Ortner and McLean since the election season began, both have been cordial to the other. Some anonymous members of the public, however, have raised questions as to McLean’s ability to hold office due to an incident involving a medical leave in 2012. In speaking with McLean, she acknowledged she’d taken the 30-day leave, but said she returned to work capable and healthy. She pointed to her near-perfect record as a judge (she’s had just one case overturned during her tenure) and a stellar attendance record since as evidence of her competence.

“My record speaks for itself,” she said. McLean has the backing of several fellow judges, attorneys, including the Butte County Deputy District Attorneys Association, and others.