Financial information on CA judges will soon be available online

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Voters will soon be able to go online if they want to examine the financial information of California judicial candidates.

Voters will soon be able to go online if they want to examine the financial information of California judicial candidates. The state’s political watchdog says those financial disclosure forms should be posted within the next few weeks.

The California Judges Association originally fought the move by the Fair Political Practices Commission to post the documents online.

They argued that sensitive information on the forms such as a spouse’s address or property ownership could jeopardize their safety. But the FPPC says judicial candidates can now request a redaction of personal information, and FPPC Chair Ann Ravel says the public’s ability to access financial information is more important.

“When people have their cases heard before a judge, the judge must be impartial," says Ravel. "Which is not to say that receiving a campaign contribution makes them not impartial, but at least the people who are having their cases heard have a right to know.”

The California Judges Association says the change addresses their concerns.