June 9, 2010 – Perhaps the most stinging defeat in San Diego’s June 8th California election went to conservative Christian judges backed by Better Courts Now, an organization seeking to oust four incumbent judges.

All four sitting judges won by hefty margins, each garnering about two-thirds of the vote. Judges Lantz Lewis, Joel Wholfeil, Robert Longstreth and DeAnn Salcido all won reelection.

Conservative group's candidates found not qualified for judicial positions by County Bar

May 24, 2010 (San Diego) – Judicial races are rarely headline news. But an organization called “Better Courts Now” founded by the late Don Hamer, an East County pastor, has lined up a slate of right-wing candidates to challenge four incumbent judges.

The group’s website states that judges should be accountable, uphold the law and make fair, impartial decisions—yet does not cite a single instance in which the incumbents failed on any specific point. (Better Courts Now notes that doing so would violate Canon 5 of the California Code of Judicial Ethics, which prohibits judicial candidates from leveling specific criticisms against opponents.) 

Better Courts Now’s candidates were not found qualified for the positions they seek by the County Bar Association.  In response, Better Courts Now has accused the Bar of "blatant political bias" and noted that Larry Stanwood Johnson, chair of the Bar's Certified Family Law Specialists Committee, has solicited donations from Committee members for the incumbent judges.  

March 21, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Rev. Don Hamer, former pastor of Sonrise Community Church in Santee and Zion Christian Fellowship in San Diego, died Wednesday, March 17 of a heart attack.
 

An e-mail circulated by the family to media and community groups said that Hamer passed away “during his morning devotions” with a family member at his side. “We are deeply saddened by this loss and ask that you join his family in prayer at this time,” the statement added.