Tribunal Superior de California, Condado de San BernardinoCandidato para Juez, Cargo 2

Judge Harrison grew up in the Inland Empire, only leaving the area when he served as a warrant officer and helicopter pilot for the US Army during the Vietnam era.  He continued to fly fixed wing and rotor craft after the military, and he still holds his instructor pilot license. 

Judge Harrison's grandparents had previously resided on the Choctaw Indian reservation in Oklahoma and he grew up hearing stories from his family of the disparate treatment the Indians received before cultural diversity became acceptable. He was the youngest of four boys in the family, and his father taught them all the value of honest, hard work in the construction field.  The work done by Judge Harrison alongside his father and brothers may still be seen throughout the eastern parts of the county in rock work done on church and school properties and walls, as well as the construction of various buildings.  Judge Harrison is immensely proud of his father, who, at 93 years of age, still participates in Marine Corps ceremonies, and contributes historical information for a book being written about his war experiences in WWII.

Judge Harrison has held positions as a law enforcement officer (deputy to sergeant, watch commander, and in charge of internal affairs) for 10 years with the San Bernardino County Marshal's Office (which subsequently merged into the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department).  True to the values his family taught him, he continued to work as a law enforcement officer, while attending night school to become an attorney.  He subsequently was hired as a Deputy District Attorney in San Bernardino for 14 years. He later ran for judge and took the bench as a superior court judge in San Bernardino County 17 years ago.  He has been the supervising judge for Fontana courts and Rancho Cucamonga criminal courts.  His most current assignment is to Family Law Court, for which he was named Judicial Officer of the Year for 2016 by family law attorneys in the Inland Empire and Los Angeles of the East/West Family Law Council. 

He is married to wife, Diane, for 35 years, and he has three daughters and six grandchildren. For many years, Judge Harrison and his wife did volunteer work for Fish and Game, rehabbing injured and orphaned birds, reptiles and mammals in the Inland Empire.  Their children have been raised in local San Bernardino County schools, and they have strong ties to the community that have lasted throughout Judge Harrison's lifetime.  Living and working in the county where he serves the public has given him a unique knowledge of issues and challenges facing the community and the individuals in that community.  

Judge Harrison has the support of San Bernardino County law enforcement, numerous San Bernardino County Judges, attorneys, numerous community members and labor groups, who are familiar with him and his work.  To find out more, go to www.JudgeHarrison.com. 

The office of "judge" is a non-partisan office, meaning there is no Republican, Democrat, Independent or other party affiliation with the office.  The judges are not there to carry out the agenda of a party platform, but rather to follow the law.  On controversial subjects, judges are prohibited from voicing opinions on what they might do or rule should a case come before them, since that would be prejudging a case, and that would mean one side of the litigation may feel at a disadvantage because of the personal leanings of the judge.

Just as law enforcement generally only encounters about 5% of the population on what is often "the worst day of their life," many court proceedings only bring people before the court for situations and issues which are situational and are often highly charged emotionally.  Judge Harrison is well aware that the only time that people generally have contact with the courts is when they are either on jury duty, are a witness in a case, or they have a case of their own before the courts.  Each of these is generally filled with a level of stress, and it takes patience and guidance to help people feel at ease within the court system.  

Many of the cases coming before the court are highly charged emotionally, and people may not be acting as calmly and with as much clarity or objectivity, as they might have in a different setting.  Family law court is particularly fraught with emotional turbulence, as the parties attempt to obtain what they feel is an appropriate resolution to their problems, whether that be issues of child custody, spousal or child support and domestic violence restraining orders.  The role of the judge is to provide a neutral forum where the parties can be guided towards a fair resolution of their issues, even when those same parties may not agree at all on what should happen, or even what is "fair" under any given instance.  The role of the judge is not to make all parties happy.  In fact, the very nature of a verdict favoring any side of an issue, usually means that one side will feel the outcome is more favorable than the other side.  Being fair does not equate to being popular, and a judge who does what that judge perceives as best, may often draw criticism from one side or the other, that being in the nature of the job.  

Judge Harrison believes in following the law, not attempting to legislate from the bench.  He has handled almost every type of case while a judge over the last 17 years, and he attempts to give mature guidance to parties before him when that is needed, and to assist them in obtaining help which they may not know is available to assist them.  Giving each litigant access to the court system, treating them with dignity while maintaining and upholding the dignity of the court, is what judges are charged with doing, and what Judge Harrison has performed nearly daily for the last 17 years.  He has not shirked his duties on cases where he is called upon to make tough decisions, or even to impose serious sentences in criminal cases (such as murder or aggravated assault).  Ultimately, we are individuals, but the society in which we live has decided upon laws which the judges must uphold.  Judge Harrison believes in faithfully carrying out his duties to that end.