Ahead of the June primary election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
Name: Ryan Dibble
Current job title: Superior Court Commissioner
Age: 46
Incumbent: No
Other political positions held: None.
City where you reside: Rancho Palos Verdes
Campaign website or social media: dibbleforjudge.com
What do you consider to be your judicial philosophy? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
I recognize that as a bench officer, I am responsible for ensuring the fairness of the process experienced by the public. As a Superior Court Commissioner, I am already performing many roles of a judge. I concentrate on being as fair, impartial and open-minded as possible, and being a good listener, demonstrating an active interest in the arguments and evidence being presented.
People who come to court are experiencing what might be the most important or stressful day of their lives, and I try to reflect that I understand that in every case. I strive to provide an atmosphere and access to the process that will leave any litigant or party with the sense that, no matter what the outcome of their case, they received the attention they deserved and were heard during their day in court. In this way, I seek to increase the public’s confidence in the court system with each decision I make and the way I make it.
How do you think your personal experience — legal or otherwise — would inform your decisions as a judge? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
I currently serve as a Superior Court commissioner and hear cases in small claims court. I am keenly aware of the importance of these matters to the people who come into my courtroom, all of whom represent themselves without an attorney. This experience has taught me the importance of taking my time to carefully listen to each case, ask as many questions as I can and to explain my rulings thoroughly so that everyone sees that the process was fair.
My experience as a former deputy district attorney has provided me with a vast perspective on the variety of cases that come through the criminal justice system and the wide range of discretion judges have in addressing public safety.
On a personal note, my wife works full-time, and we are parents to two young girls. I am personally aware of the balancing act parents and families are faced with in raising children and managing day-to-day affairs. Being a parent in a household where both parents work gives me some insight into the challenges faced by self-represented people and others using the courts. I will do my best to always show respect and compassion for those challenges.
How would you approach situations where you have judicial discretion within the law? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
Where judges have discretion within the law, they need to seek as much information as possible from the parties to decide how to use that discretion. Where a judge lands on a decision is based on the information unique to each case. As a judge, I will seek that information and keep an open mind until I have all the information needed to make an informed, thoughtful decision. I will describe the reasons for my rulings to those in court.
Judges must also recognize the many areas in which they have discretion, and a wide range of experience will also help me gauge when and how to use that discretion. In my over 19 years as a prosecutor, I tried over 70 cases to juries and handled many hundreds more in other proceedings. The charges ranged in severity from theft to murder. I learned that every case stands on its own and is different from any other.
The way a judge knows how to use their discretion is to draw from the type of experience I have as a former deputy district attorney and now as a Superior Court commissioner.
How would you weigh your own personal beliefs against the law, should they conflict? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
When a case has been fully presented to a jury, the jury is instructed by the judge that they must accept and follow the law as stated by the judge, regardless of whether they agree with it. The same principle applies to the judge.
Already as a Superior Court commissioner and if elected judge, my duty is and will continue to be to act as an independent decision maker who follows the law. A judge is sworn to uphold the Constitution and has an obligation to the public to rule only in accordance with the law, not to uphold or enact their own beliefs when they are in conflict.
As an existing member of the legal community, how would you handle potential claims of misconduct against local attorneys, law firms or law enforcement organizations? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
Misconduct by attorneys, law firms and law enforcement corrodes public confidence in the justice system and the fair operation of the courts. As a judge, it is important to obtain all the information available to determine exactly what happened, hear from all interested parties and, if it has been determined that misconduct occurred, address the misconduct. The failure to act upon known misconduct by any party in court could be perceived as condoning the improper activity, and that would negatively impact the public’s perception of the fairness and impartiality of the judiciary.
As a deputy district attorney for 19 years, I held myself to high ethical standards. As a commissioner and, in the future, if elected judge, I will continue to hold attorneys and others to those high standards and confront demonstrated misconduct.
What is your philosophy on judicial activism and a judge’s potential role in shaping or setting public policy? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
A judge’s role is not to set public policy or try to shape it according to his or her personal beliefs. Determining policy is generally left to the other branches of government. A judge’s decisions must be based on the facts in a particular case and a fair interpretation of the law.