HERE COME THE JUDGE

Published in the May 9 2026 edition.

Inyo County’s Judicial candidates were in Bishop on Wednesday evening for a candidate forum held at the Methodist Church. 

As Attorney Gerard Harvey, who is opposing incumbent Judge Steve Place for one seat on the bench, observed, the four candidates represent more than 120 years of legal experience. 

As he said, “Lack of experience is what leads to messes … and I’m not referring to Judge Place.” 

The other race pits District Attorney Dana Crom against Attorney Taylor Fitzmaurice. 

A few off-the-cuff reactions. 

There was an interesting back-and-forth dynamic between Place and Crom, though they are competing for different seats. Place would reference or piggyback off of something Crom said or vice-versa. 

It felt as if they were running as a ticket. 

Both were recently endorsed by retired Judge Dean Stout and former D.A. Tom Hardy. Crom also referenced an endorsement from retired Sheriff Bill Lutze. Though Crom is not an incumbent, it feels like it. As she said in her opening remarks, she has spent the past three decades working in the County Counsel’s office, in private practice, and then at the D.A.’s office, before being appointed District Attorney last year. 

Place has sat on the bench for eight years. He emphasized that it is not a seamless transition from attorney to judge. So why make a change now that he’s been broken in? 

Fitzmaurice’s challenge hinges upon the idea that the court can be run more efficiently. The idea of a better incorporation of Zoom for criminal defendants seems like a natural. In such cases, local attorneys tell me the Mono Courts work more efficiently and defendants show up far more frequently as a result.

Crom warned that while Zoom is convenient, sometimes it’s imperative that defendants appear in person, given that they are potentially surrendering significant rights and need to have an attorney there to guide decisions. As Gerard Harvey said, “You’ve got to be next to your client to get [a reading on] the temperature.” 

But those conversations could also be had ahead of time. Might just a take a little more work and few more advance phone calls. 

Fitzmaurice’s idea of maximizing court usage by having one judge in Indy and another in Bishop on the same day to hear more cases is nice on its face, but impractical. 

Crom kinda tore the suggestion apart. It works in Mono, she said, because you have two courtrooms under the same roof. 

But with limited staff, separate locations, trying to coordinate schedules and availability, et.al. – it sounds like a non-starter. “Logistically, it’s an idea,” she opined diplomatically, “but we’re already the busiest judicial court in California.” 

Harvey’s candidacy rests on two pillars – his judicial as well as personal experience. He comes across as a man of the people. He shared one anecdote where he’d help a client in court, and then pick that same client up hitchhiking on the way home. He insists he’s not a bleeding heart, but he’s become more empathetic over time, particularly as he’s overcome his own addiction struggles. 

And he’s clearly a smart, self-deprecating, no b.s. guy. 

The question is whether that translates into defeating an incumbent who’s measured, conservative and tends to hit things down the middle.