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URGENT!  Accused Pedophile Judge May Be Re-elected

Latest News

March 14, 2002:  Judge Ronald C. Kline who, just a few weeks ago seemed a shoe-in for re-election has asked to have his name removed from the November ballot.  Election law states that an incumbent's name can only be removed if s/he dies or is promoted to a higher office, so a judge must rule on Kline's request.  Since the election is months away, a ruling may be also. Stay tuned for the latest news.

March 6, 2002:  Incumbent Judge Kline faces 11 write-in challengers for Office 21 of Orange County Superior Court and wins less than 50% of the vote.  He must face a run-off in November.

March 1, 2002:  An Orange County Judge rules that all Orange County polling places must post signs alerting voters that they can obtain a list of write-in challengers for all races in tomorrow's election.

January 11, 2002:  Judge Kline is charged on four felony counts of committing lewd acts on a child under 14. In 1980, unaware of the boy's alleged abuse by Judge Kline, his parents filed a stalking complaint against Judge Kline, who was then a prominent civil attorney. Stalking laws were not in place at that time, and no charges were ever filed. The victim came forward after learning of Kline's arrest on child pornography charges.

November, 2001: Orange County (California) Superior Court Judge Ronald C. Kline is indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of child pornography, and placed under federal house arrest at his Irvine home.

Election Background

Judge Ronald C. Kline currently holds Office 21 of Orange County, California’s Superior Court. In November of last year, Judge Kline was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of child pornography, and placed under federal house arrest at his Irvine home. Then, in January of this year, Judge Kline was charged on four felony counts of committing lewd acts on a child under 14. Authorities allege that Judge Kline molested a 12-year-old boy at least four times between 1976 and 1978. In 1980, unaware of the boy’s alleged abuse by Judge Kline, his parents filed a stalking complaint against Judge Kline, who was then a prominent civil attorney. Stalking laws were not in place at that time, and no charges were ever filed. A diary, which was written on Judge Kline’s home computer and used as evidence in his child pornography arrest, made references to his attraction to young boys, including a 2000 entry naming the man who now accuses Judge Kline of child molestation.

After posting bail on these latest charges, Judge Kline remains under house arrest. He pled not guilty on the child pornography charges and, according to a statement made by his attorney to the Los Angeles Times, plans to plead not guilty to the molestation charges. He will be arraigned on February 6.

Even though he is under house arrest, Judge Kline remains a candidate for re-election. He is running unopposed on the ballot, although several people have completed the paperwork required to be write-in challengers. California code does not require incumbent judges to be listed on the ballot, and if a candidate is not listed on the ballot, there can be no write-in challenge. Kline’s listing on the ballot was forced by completion of two petitions, each signed by 100 registered voters.

 If Kline wins re-election, he will remain on paid leave with his current $136,244 annual salary until his criminal cases are resolved, or the state Commission on Judicial Performance disciplines him. Commission officials told the Los Angeles Times that, if Kline pleads guilty or is found guilty of a felony, the commission would suspend him without pay. If the conviction is overturned on appeal, Kline will be re-instated and paid back pay. If the case is lost on appeal, the commission will remove Kline permanently from the bench.

About the Office

Superior Court judges serve 6-year terms, and are elected by county voters on a non-partisan ballot at a general election. With the exception of formal municipal judges in recently unified courts, a Superior Court judge must have been an attorney admitted to practice law in California or have served as a judge of a court of record in this state for at least ten years immediately preceding election or appointment. Superior courts have trial jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases  including child abuse cases.

CA Cities Affected

Registered voters in the following cities will be deciding whether accused child molester, Judge Ronald C. Kline, will retain his seat in Office 21 of Orange County, California’s Superior Court.

The Challengers

Together, the 11 write-in challengers received 66% of the vote.  The counting process for write-in votes is labor intensive and, at this writing, only half of Orange County's 2,094 precincts had reported results.  If Kline succeeds in his request to be removed from the ballot, the top two vote-getters among the write-in challengers will face off in November.  We will report those results as soon as they are available.  It is outside the scope of our mission to endorse any political candidate, but we can suggest that you visit the candidates' websites to learn more about them.

Deadlines/Dates

If you are a California resident who hasn’t registered to vote, you can find out how to register at the website for the California branch of the League of Women Voters, located at , or, you can register to vote (either on-line, or by printing out the form provided, and sending it via snail mail) at the Vote America website, located here:

Deadline to register to vote in the November election:  Monday, October 21, 2002

Date of the General Election:  Tuesday, November 5, 2002

What You Can Do

If Judge Ronald C. Kline is unsuccessful in his quest to have his name removed from the ballot, he could still win the election.  If he is re-elected to Superior Court Office 21, the disposition of both civil and criminal child abuse cases could be affected. If you are concerned about the outcome of this election, there are things you can do, even if you're not a resident of California.

Non-residents:  If you have friends who live in Orange County, call, snail-mail, or e-mail them, and urge them to vote in this election. Let them know they can surf our website   -- for all the details.

Register:  To vote in the November 5 election, Californians must register by Monday, October 21, 2002.  Find out how to register at the website for the California branch of the League of Women Voters, located at , or, you can register to vote (either on-line, or by printing out the form provided, and sending it via snail mail) at the Vote America website, located here: 

Vote:  Your polling place is just around the corner, and is open from 8am to 8pm on Election Day, so it’s easy to make a difference. Without strong support from every quarter, write-in candidates rarely win elections, so please vote. This time, your vote really does count.

Get Free Updates

We’ll be issuing regular updates on this crucial election in the Child Abuse News Monitor, the official newsletter of the Child Abuse Legislation Study Project. Get the latest news on the election for Orange County Superior Court Judge, plus action alerts, deadline reminders, and child abuse news and legislation from around the nation. The election is coming up fast, so don’t wait -- subscribe now!