By Patty Cruz Lopez

Commissioner Jesus Valencia has his eye on the highly sought after position of Superior Court Justice for Santa Clara County and its not by accident. According to Valencia he’s had a clear vision about his career in law since he was a young boy.

Valencia remembers reading about U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and being inspired to pursue a career in law as early as junior high. He says, “I wanted to do something in the legal field. I was very interested in civic leaders and knew that lawyers played an important role in governments.”

A budding youth in the 1960’s he was privy to the Civil Rights Movement’s leaders who promoted what Valencia calls, “the possibility of change and having to work hard for it.”
Valencia has come a long way from Oregon, where he was raised in a migrant worker family.

Son of hard working immigrant parents Valencia graduated from San Jose State University and received a graduate degree in law from Santa Clara University. His resume includes serving as a criminal defense and civil litigation lawyer for 20 years, a judge pro tem for 6 years, and for the past 15 months, as court commissioner.

A trailblazer, Valencia is the only Latino running to fill the coveted Superior Court Judge seat, a position traditionally appointed by the Governor. Valencia says, “There has historically always been a lack of diversity on the bench. As of late there has been some progress on that front. There is a conscious attempt to change the complexion of the bench.”

Santa Clara County is representative of the problem of the lack of diversity on the bench. Still, Valencia believes that this contest is not just about race and/or ethnicity, he says, “Diversity should be defined in a more broader sense to reflect legal experience, economic background, and valuable points of view.”

The Commissioner is a self-proclaimed “simple man, who loves to run, hike, go camping, barbeque, watch movies and travel” with his family. He says he will stay true to his campaign promises to “change attitudes and policies within the system, reach the youth, get parents more involved and engage in prevention,” adding, “I’m not going to change my course because my career changes. I am who I am because of my life experiences and my record bears that out.”

The election will give Santa Clara County voters an opportunity to elect the next Superior Court Judge. Vote on Tuesday June 3, 2008.