MacKinnon joins judge race
Senior
Deputy District Attorney John MacKinnon announced this week that he is a
candidate for the Superior Court seat vacated by former Judge Diana Hall.
He
is the second candidate to announce for the position. In March, Kevin Ready,
also a Senior Deputy District Attorney, declared he would run for the seat.
Judge
Hall was removed from the bench in 2006 after she was convicted on two counts
of driving under the influence of alcohol, as well as for “willful misconduct
in office and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice that brings
the judicial office into disrepute.”
MacKinnon’s
announcement stated, “In today’s challenging times with jail overcrowding,
methamphetamine abuse, gang violence and other serious issues, our county needs
experienced judges on the bench who have dealt with these issues.
“My
experience as a senior deputy district attorney and my familiarity and position
in our mental health and drug court give me the unique perspective of being
both a criminal prosecutor and a public servant who is aware and sensitive to
the issue of treatment rather than incarceration of nonviolent drug addicts and
the nonviolent mentally ill.”
MacKinnon
was born in Santa Maria and lives in the Orcutt area
with his wife, Michelle, and their two children. He is president of the
Northern Santa Barbara County Bar Association., a member of the board of
directors of the Santa Maria Boys and Girls Club, and a member of the executive
board of the Deputy District Attorneys Association.
The
election to replace Judge Hall is June 3. Two other candidates for the seat are
expected to enter the race, Jed Q. Beebe, a court research attorney, and Lynn
Cutler, a deputy district attorney.