Democrat Catherine Taylor is running for Magistrate Judge and stopped by the Los Alamos Daily Post recently to answer questions about the local election. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
Staff Report
Democrat Catherine Taylor is running for Magistrate Judge. She recently stopped by the Los Alamos Daily Post to answer questions about the local election. This is part of a series of Q&As with political candidates that the Post will publish ahead of the Nov. 8 General Election.
POST: How long have you lived in Los Alamos?
TAYLOR: Just over six years, since August 2016.
POST: Where do you work?
TAYLOR: I am the Teen Court Coordinator for Los Alamos Municipal Court, a diversion program for low-level youth offenders.
POST: Why are you running for Magistrate Judge?
TAYLOR: Magistrate Judge is an opportunity for me to draw more fully on my years of education, training and experience to continue to serve Los Alamos County but on a broader scale. My work in criminal and administrative courts makes me uniquely well-qualified to serve as Magistrate Judge.
POST: What do you believe is the most important role that a Magistrate Judge plays in Los Alamos County?
TAYLOR: Most importantly, a Magistrate Judge must maintain the independence and impartiality of the judiciary while remaining connected with the community she serves.
POST: What skills and experience do you have that you believe would be beneficial to the position?
TAYLOR: Magistrate Court is a court of limited jurisdiction in New Mexico, so while the Court is authorized to hear civil disputes involving $10,000 or less, the bulk of Magistrate Court involves criminal matters—for example, search and arrest warrants and preliminary hearings—which is where I have extensive experience having been a criminal prosecutor in California for many years, in courtrooms every day. I am already well-versed in trial objections and the Evidence Code, as well as established case law pertaining to the rights of criminal defendants.
I also worked as a Deputy Trial Counsel for the California State Bar, prosecuting Ethics and Professional Standards violations by California-licensed attorneys. In that capacity, I was responsible for overseeing investigations into consumer complaints, including depositions, subpoenas, and witness interviews, and bringing charges in State Bar Court, which operates as the discipline arm of the California Supreme Court. Nearly all of the cases I handled stemmed from civil matters, so I am comfortable with Civil Procedure as well.
I attended the National Judicial College last October for a week-long course for aspiring judges. The faculty included local, state and federal judges from across the country and focused on judicial ethics, implicit biases, courtroom administration and continued academic study as a judicial officer.
If I also include law school, I can claim experience as a defense attorney as well, having earned credit in Legal Clinic representing two clients (adult and juvenile) on criminal charges as a Certified Law Clerk.
Taken together, I have the breadth and depth of experience that are most beneficial to the Magistrate Judge.
POST: What previous community involvement have you had in Los Alamos and outside of the community?
TAYLOR: Within Los Alamos, I was a parent volunteer in my children’s elementary school classrooms and school activities. Now, I volunteer with Hawk Hangouts, a collaboration of community partners addressing the lack of pro-social, organized activities for younger teens.
Outside of Los Alamos, I currently serve as Vice President of the New Mexico Teen Court Association. In years past, I coached high school mock trial teams and was a member of Spinsters of San Francisco, a philanthropic fundraising organization. I volunteered with my college’s Community Action Program as a Girl Scout Troop leader in an underserved community and a Young Adult Mentor in a juvenile detention center.