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Tri-Valley voters will be among those selecting between trial attorney Selia Warren and administrative law judge Patricia Miles for the Alameda County Superior Court bench, one of two contested judgeships listed separately on the primary election ballot.
Dubbed office No. 19, the election featuring Miles and Warren will decide a six-year term beginning in January 2027 to succeed retiring Judge Brad Seligman. Either woman would win the seat outright with more than 50% of the vote on June 2.
As a superior court judge, Warren said her guiding principals would be impartiality, compassion and fidelity to the rule of law.
“Every person who comes before the court deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and I would be committed to applying the law fairly while ensuring all litigants feel heard and understood,” she explained.
“I believe deeply in public service and in the judiciary’s vital role in protecting fairness, justice, and the rule of law,” Warren said of running for the seat.
Warren aims for the bench with over 20 years of experience as an attorney.
She has worked since 2015 as deputy city attorney for Oakland, where she has advised and represented the city in trial and appellate court regarding civil rights constitutional law, elections, the California Environmental Quality Act and restraining orders, she said.
“I’m ready to expand my service and apply my expertise to benefit my county, where I have lived and worked for over a decade,” Warren told the Pleasanton Weekly via email interview.
Warren earned her juris doctor at the University of Michigan Law School and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.
“I have strong credentials, but humble beginnings,” she added.
The San Francisco native attended public school in Vallejo. Her parents worked as mail carriers for the postal service, and her stepdad worked as a plumber.
“Because of my background, I am especially focused on the experiences of regular working people in the courtroom and will work to make sure those individuals do not get lost in the system,” she said.
Warren is the only candidate from the either judge race to be endorsed by all five Alameda County supervisors.
An administrative law judge of 13 years, Miles said her focus as a superior court judge would be to ensure everyone receives the full protection of the U.S. Constitution.
“I will treat participants in the process with due respect and dignity,” she told the Pleasanton Weekly via email interview.
It is a pet peeve of hers for a judge to treat people with disrespect and impatience.
“Our democracy is ‘for the people and by the people.’ Therefore, ‘the people’ deserve our appreciation and respect AND they deserve to understand what is happening — irrespective of the outcome that they ultimately receive,” Miles said.
Miles explained that she plans to read all relevant materials ahead of a hearing, listen to and analyze parties’ positions in view of statues, ask questions as necessary and render a clear, well-reasoned and balanced decision.
“I want to be transparent in how I deliberate and what I consider and make sure they understand the process,” Miles explained. “I hope that this will ensure that the public respects the process and feels that our democracy works for them.”
Miles emphasizes the importance of judges serving as “above the political fray” without bias.
“In the current times where people seem to be increasingly disillusioned about our government, and the principles upon which our democracy stands — I would like to be in Superior Court to have a more direct involvement with people,” she said. “I want to bring my experience to a more grassroots daily interaction with the public.”
Miles said she is capable of understanding voters’ concerns as she shares similar life experiences with many of those casting ballots.
“I am THEM,” Miles said. “My life’s path has been shaped by ordinary hard work.”
Her parents were “blue collar workers” and her dad was in the same Teamsters local from 1929 to retirement in 1973.
“If they want a real person with common sense — then they should elect me to Superior Court,” Miles said.
Learn more about Miles’ campaign at pmilesforjudge.com. More information about Warren’s campaign is available at seliawarrenforjudge.com.
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