News
Law Practice
Feb. 25, 2002
DAs, Law School Owner Compete for Judgeship
LOS ANGELES - Larry H. Layton has run unsuccessfully for Superior Court judge four times but refuses to be dissuaded. The owner of the Larry H. Layton School of Law in Acton, Layton says he decided to run in the March 5 primary because he has not given up on the ideals that prompted him to run the other four times.
The owner of the Larry H. Layton School of Law in Acton, Layton says he decided to run in the March 5 primary because he has not given up on the ideals that prompted him to run the other four times.
"I like running for judge because, if I'm elected, I would just like to promote fairness," Layton said.
But two other men think they would be able to do that just as well. Competing against Layton for the seat being vacated by retiring Judge Richard E. Spann are prosecutors Richard E. Naranjo and Craig Renetzky.
The men are three of 21 candidates competing for seven Superior Court seats in the March 5 primary - the first election since court unification in 2000. If none of the three receives a majority of votes, there will be a runoff Nov. 5.
Naranjo, 49, who has been a deputy district attorney for 11 years, says he decided to run because he believes he has the credentials necessary to win and outpaces his competitors in key areas.
"I have much more life experience than Mr. Renetzky and much more legal experience than Mr. Layton, even though he has been a lawyer longer than me, because of my experience with trials," he said.
Naranjo also hopes that his Cuban and Spanish heritage, reflected in his name, will give him an edge. He was president of the Hispanic Law Student Association when he was at Southwestern University Law School.
But Renetzky, 34, said he has gained plenty of valuable experience working as a deputy district attorney on the Community Oriented Multi-Agency Narcotics Enforcement Team, a section of the major narcotics division. As part of the task force, Renetzky goes to different parts of the county targeting drug problems there as one of a team of law enforcement officials.
"I've seen the situation around the county, and I can tell how important it is to have a judge that has patience and understanding but is also tough on crime," he said.
In addition to running his unaccredited law school, Layton, 59, also practices primarily in the areas of administrative law and criminal defense. He has served as a judge pro tem and an arbitrator. He is a 1974 graduate of Glendale University College of Law.
Naranjo is assigned to the Lancaster branch of the Superior Court, where he is the early disposition deputy, making offers on new felony arraignments. He has handled more than 50 trials. He earned his law degree from Southwestern in 1991.
Renetzky has been a prosecutor since 1991, serving in the major narcotics division, handling felony trials and working in various courthouses. He is a 1991 graduate of the University of Southern California Law School. He also holds an Emergency Medical Technician Certificate and is chairman of the disaster advisory committee for the Los Angeles chapter of the American Red Cross.
Renetzky's father, administrative law judge Donald Renetzky, also is running for Superior Court judge. He is competing against Santa Monica attorney Joseph Deering and prosecutor Hank Goldberg for the seat being vacated by retiring Judge Michael Pirosh.
The Los Angeles County Bar Association rated all three candidates for Office No. 39 - Layton, Naranjo, and Craig Renetzky - as "Qualified."
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Erin Carroll
Daily Journal Staff Writer
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