JUDGE PLACE SEEKS REELECTION
In a courthouse bracing for turnover, Stephen M. Place’s campaign is simple: now is not the time to start from scratch.
Place, the incumbent Inyo County Superior Court Judge, is being challenged this election cycle by Public Defender Gerard Harvey. Though he has served on the bench for eight years, this is the first time he has had to campaign for the job. Appointed in 2019 to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Dean T. Stout, Place ran unopposed in 2020.
This year is different.
With Judge Susanne Rizo not seeking reelection, one of the county’s two judicial seats will be filled by a newcomer. That reality, Place says, makes continuity more important than ever.
“Experience is crucial,” he said. “Losing [my] work experience would not be ideal for the county.”
Place’s pitch is not flashy. He does not talk about sweeping reforms or dramatic restructuring. Instead, he talks about the mechanics of the job (calendars, rulings, courtroom management) and about the learning curve that comes with becoming a judge.
Place grew up in Minnesota, earned a Bachelor of Arts from St. Olaf College, and received his law degree from the University of Montana School of Law. He moved to Bishop in 1996, where he has lived ever since.
His early legal career included a stint at the Law Office of Peter Tracy, where he handled real estate, small business, and municipal matters, before opening his own practice in 2001. Over the years as an attorney, his work primarily focused on civil matters.
Because of this focus, he faced a “steep learning curve” once he was put on criminal cases after starting on civil assignments for the first two-and-a-half as judge. After four years handling criminal matters, he has since rotated back to civil, returning to family law, probate and general civil litigation.
“It’s a completely different role from being an attorney,” he explained. “You act differently in the courtroom. Your responsibilities are different. You become better at it over time.”
His time on the bench, Place says, is his most tangible qualification.
His opponent, Harvey, has emphasized decades of criminal trial experience and has made campaign pledges about how he would approach the job. Place does not dismiss his challenger’s resume, but he is skeptical of campaign rhetoric in a judicial race.
“When a new judge starts, the focus is learning the role,” he said. “I’m open to any idea that makes the court better, but the first priority is the work itself.”
Attorney Taylor Fitzmaurice, who is running for the other open judicial seat, criticized the court on her campaign, citing long-running custody disputes and repeated evidentiary hearings as evidence that the court lacks finality. Place said he does not accept the characterization of the court as ineffective.
“The goal isn’t just a ruling,” he said. “It’s making people feel the process worked. They’ve been respected in court. Their evidence has been considered. Their positions have been considered. Even if they don’t get the outcome they want, they can leave confident the process was fair.”
Running a two-judge court in a rural county also comes with structural constraints. Staffing is limited. The aging courthouse has yet to see long-discussed upgrades due to funding delays. When one judge is in trial, the calendar must adjust.
“You have to understand the resources you’re working with,” he said. “There are practical limits.”
Throughout his time on the bench, Place has sought to balance efficiency with careful consideration of each case.
He said patience and temperament are essential qualities for judges, both to maintain order in the courtroom and to instill confidence in the public.
“Temperament affects how people feel about the court process,” he said. “I feel like my approach makes people leave confident in the system.”
While Place said he respects the election process and the perspectives of his challengers, he sees the race as more akin to a hiring decision than a political contest.
“The sign of work ethic is not how many door hangers you can put up,” he said. “It’s how someone performed as a judge, how they performed as an attorney. That’s the question voters should ask.”
