March Fong Eu v. Chacon

Opinion

THE COURT.

This case presents the narrow question whether incumbent justice court judges who were not attorneys when they became judges (hereafter called “nonattomey judges”) are eligible to run for reelectión at the June 8, 1976, primary election. We have concluded that, by reason of section 71701 of the Government Code, such nonattomey judges are ineligible to run for the office in question.

We trace certain chronology pertinent to the case. On February, 6, 1976, real parties in interest filed a mandate action in the Santa Barbara Superior Court, alleging that they are incumbent…