Letter to the Editor: Magit has traits for superior court judge
Dear Editor,
At the Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce Candidate’s Forum last May, I witnessed an interesting exchange between Superior Court judge candidates Magit and Gephart. I was sitting in the front row as the candidates were seating themselves. The only person missing was Ms. Hankel. I watched, as Magit said he had better call her to find out where she was. Gephart responded by saying, “Don’t call her.” Magit said I am calling her, and it was a good thing he did. She thought the forum started at 6 p.m. instead of 5 p.m., and she rushed in a few minutes late. I had witnessed an unguarded moment into Mark Magit’s personality. He could have done nothing, but he didn’t. He showed honesty, integrity, and compassion for a fellow candidate — traits I want in a superior court judge.
Gwen Plummer
Mammoth Lakes
So let me get this right. Gephart threw Hankel under the bus for the community candidate’s forum and now she endorses him like they are best friends. Very interesting.
Even more interesting is the part where everyone steps right up and defends there brand of Judicial integrity in the Page 2 “Quid Pro Quo” editorial Lunch posted.
Me Thinks The Boy (Gephart) Doth Protest Too Much!
Thanks for your post Gwen. I love getting the real story.
Mark keeps looking better and better every day.
there is no quid pro quo, the sitting judge does not chose who becomes public defender and if Mark Magid had the integrity you all think he does he would explain how he managed to get the family law quid pro quo contract from a dying Kip Dwyer, the silence is deafening Mr. Magid !
Mr. Tiger,
You have nearly all of your facts exactly wrong — in fact, you don’t even have Mark’s name right. There was no “contract” for Kip Dwyer’s practice, it was a private practice, not a government job like the public defender. The only “quid pro quo” was Kip’s sincere gratitude that someone with integrity and willing to work hard was taking over his very demanding practice at such a terrible time.
Moreover, the sitting judge has a great deal of say in who gets the public defender contract. Ask Dave Wilbrecht. Why do you think Terese didn’t get it last time — even though her bid was substantially lower — and Randy and his group did? Because Judge Eller is Randy’s best friend and George Booth lobbied hard in favor of his buddy Randy. Apparently it’s who you know rather than the best interest of the taxpayer.
PS Speaking of saving taxpayer dollars, Mr. Gephart was assigned to represent Mr. Harris who refused to take a plea bargain. When Gephart was unwilling to go to trial — in keeping with his practice of never going to trial against the DA’s office as a public defender — Ms. Henkel was appointed, costing the tazpayers literally hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“I” stands for Integrity. There is no “I” in Gephart — or “Gephart supporter”