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Tony Karl Heider is chief deputy Kern County public defender. The following information was obtained from the California Bar Association Web site. This entry will be updated when he responds to The Californian's candidate questionnaire and supplemental judicial questions. You are invited to post your comments and questions concerning this candidate. The candidate is invited to respond directly onto this blog. If he chooses not to, The Californian will attempt to obtain answers to your questions.

Undergraduate School: San Francisco State University

Law School: University of San Francisco School of Law

Status: Active

Admitted to the California Bar: Dec. 19, 1973

Disciplinary record: None

CALIFORNIAN QUESTIONNAIRE

Name:  Tony K. Heider

Other name(s) used:  Antonio Karl Heider

Office sought:  Judge of the Superior Court, Office # 30

Born: 1948 in San Francisco, CA

Spouse’s name:  Kathleen Kavern Heider

Number of children and ages:  Two sons, ages 20 and 18.

Current occupation/employer: 
Kern County Public Defender’s Office

List employment history (past 20 years): 
1974-1986:  Kern County Public Defender’s Office
1986-1987:  Law Offices of Fred S. McAtee
1987-1988:  Goldberg, Fisher, and Quirk
1988-Present:  Kern County Public Defender’s Office

Professional licenses:  The State Bar of California since 1973.

How long have you lived in the jurisdiction you seek election?  Approximately 34 years.

Political offices you have held:  None.

Political offices you has sought: (dates, locations, outcomes):  None.

Board memberships/Community activities:  Currently, I am Secretary-Treasurer of the Kern County Bar Association, and I have been on its Board of Directors since 2002.  I chaired several Bridging the Gap programs helping new admittees to the State Bar of California ease into practice in Kern County. 

For many years, I have served as a judge in the Kern County Mock Trial and We the People competitions.

I have been a speaker representing the Kern County Public Defender’s Office at several Leadership Bakersfield programs. 

I am presently on the state-wide Board of Directors of VIP Mentors, Incorporated.

I sit as Vice-President of the local Domestic Violence Advisory Council.

I am a member of the California Public Defenders Association.

I serve as a Eurcharistic Minister and a Reader at St. Philip the Apostle Church.

Education:  University of San Francisco School of Law, J.D. 1973
San Francisco State College, B.A. in Political Science,       1970.

Military:  None.

Describe anything you have published, invented, discovered, painted, etc., and events or hobbies that would be interesting for a biographical story:  I love cars.  When I was growing up, I spent my allowance on plastic model car kits and collected over 150 of them, most of which I still have.  As for real automobiles, I am having my late parents’ 1964 Jaguar Mark II 3.8 Sedan restored to the way it looked when they took delivery of it on October 22, 1963.  

Campaign committee members:  David L. Kelly, Treasurer

State or Federal campaign ID number:  80-015-2403

List all criminal convictions or pleas in this county and others
(Include year):  None.


List all civil court judgments against you or any business you have had a financial interest in (partnership, sole proprietor, corporation) in this county and others (include year):  None.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS

Why did you want to become a lawyer?

I cannot remember a time when becoming a lawyer was not my goal.  The seeds were planted by my parents and nurtured by the Perry Mason television series which first aired in 1957.  When I was 11 or 12, I read books written by Melvin Belli, Vincent Hallinan, and Jake Erlich, all renowned San Francisco attorneys.  Like the fictional Perry Mason, these lawyers achieved success for their clients even against great odds.  The prospect of fighting for the underdog appealed to me.

I credit my high school teachers with solidifying this goal and for giving me the basic tools to achieve it.  They, along with my parents, taught me the importance of public service, echoing much of what President John F. Kennedy talked about in his inaugural speech on January 20, 1961.  For me, it was by becoming a lawyer that I could best make a positive contribution to society.        ; 


Have you been disciplined in any way by a Bar Association or successfully sued for malpractice?  No.


Why do you want to become a judge?

I would like to put my 34 years of courtroom, administrative, and life experiences to work for the people of Kern County by serving as a judge of the Superior Court.  As a judge, I would be able to play an integral part in ensuring equal, courteous, and fair treatment for all who appear in court.

What is the nature of your law practice?  Criminal Law and office administration.


How often have you gone to trial?  Hundreds of trials, from misdemeanors to capital murder cases.


How often have you tried a case before a jury?  Hundreds of times.


Are you qualified to argue a case before the Supreme Court?
I was sworn in to practice before the Supreme Court of California but have never had the occasion to do so.


Have you served pro bono as an attorney for a client or organization?  When in private practice, I was part of the Lawyer Referral Service, now defunct.


Have you served as a judge pro tem, mediator, arbitrator or hearing officer? How often?  No.


What is your judicial philosophy?

If elected to the bench, I would strive to serve the people of Kern County with integrity and to work for the cause of justice.  I would never lose sight of the fact that everyone is entitled to equal access to our courts and fair treatment before the law.  No matter what their role in the judicial system, all parties before the court must be treated with respect and courtesy.  I do not have a political agenda espousing a particular philosophy.  Rather, I would render justice for all through well-reasoned decisions based upon the law.