Judge rules Judge can't be 'judge' on ballot

A candidate running for a Los Angeles County Superior Court seat who legally changed his first name to "Judge" can appear as such on the ballot but can't use the word "retired judge" as his ballot designation, an LA judge has ruled.

Instead, Judge Mike Cummins, a San Luis Obispo County resident and a retired Stanislaus County judge, must indicate which profession he is most recently retired from on the ballot. ruled Los Angeles County Judge James C. Chalfant on Tuesday.

Cummins will now use "retired counselor at law."

Chalfant found the wording "judge" coupled with "retired" would mislead voters into thinking he is a retired Los Angeles judge.

Cummins said his proposed title was accurate because he was a judge who retired in 2006. Chalfant took no issue with the legal name change, but because Cummins practiced law since leaving the bench, the title is misleading, ruled Chalfant.

"Cummins is most accurately a retired attorney and must change his ballot designation to reflect that fact. Otherwise, his name and ballot designation are collectively misleading," ruled Chalfant.

Cummins is running against Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Emily Cole, who argued Cummins circumvented the law by changing his name. Chalfant noted that although Cummins is "guilty of game-playing," he complied by legally changing his name.

-- Justin Kloczko