Jim Kelley biography


Age: 
46
Occupation: 
Deputy District Attorney
Political experience: 
16 years of practicing law--5 years of civil litigation and 11 years of criminal prosecution, 8 years as a part-time professor of law (Ph.D. program) and 9 years as a reserve deputy sheriff
Education: 
Bachelor's Degree CSU Fresno Master's Degree CSU Fresno Juris Doctor University of California Hasting College of Law
Family: 
Married to Janelle Also an attorney, with two children 6 and 9 years old.
Web site: 

jimkelleyforjudge.com

Endorsements: 
California Reserve Peace Officers' Association (representing 7,000 peace officers) local police chiefs, and police officers, City Attorney James Sanchez, County Counsel Dennis Marshall, over a dozen prosecutors, Judge Gary Orozco, Judge Jon Kapetan, Judge Kristi Culver, Judge Dense Whitehead, Judge Rosendo Pena, law firms including Miles, Sears & Eanni, Kapetan Brothers, lawyers including Douglas Gordon,Charles T. Taylor, Shelline K. Bennett, Cadee Peters, David Balakian, Community Leaders including Rob Saroyan, Vice President Community Hospital, David and Marilyn Britz, Linnea Alexander, PhD., Andrew, Simmons, PhD, Rudy Liebl, Larry Fortune.
Why are you running?: 

After serving as a civil litigator, a prosecutor, a law professor and a reserve deputy sheriff I am ready for the next step in my career--to become a judge. As a judge I will hold people accountable and I will decide each case on the merits.
As a judge, I will run my courtroom with efficiency and courtesy to all involved--the parties, counsel, witnesses and spectators alike. Efficiency requires courts to start on time and that judges handle cases expeditiously without injecting themselves into the proceedings unnecessarily Courtesy requires that judges treat everyone in the courtroom with respect. Beyond that, judges should demonstrate patience and an awareness that counsel may have other business to attend to on a given day, and judges should accommodate scheduling concerns within reason. By the same token, judges should expect litigants to be prepared when their matters are heard.