Good news for justice in San Francisco

I found this squiblet in the Chron:

Judge John Dearman, 78, has announced his retirement after 32 years on the bench. Dearman is the law partner of former Mayor Willie Brown and known as the Dean of the Court. But Presiding Judge James McBride said he’s better known in the legal community as “nicest person on the court.” When a group of attorneys says you’re nice, you’ve really accomplished something.

Dearman’s departure may mark an uptick in the quality of judicial rulings from San Francisco Superior Court.  On the few occasions I appeared before him I discovered, first, that his behavior his delightful.  He is a very nice man and, from his perch on the bench, acts like a gentleman.  Not all judges do.  A lot of them power-trip on the bench and engage in grossly arrogant behavior.  However, the second thing I discovered is that Dearman’s judicial activism is appalling.  This is a man who has no time for the law.  He habitually uses the bench to carry out his progressive version of justice.

Losing a gentleman is a shame.  Losing a judicial activist is not.