Mari Frank Interviews Judge Jim Gray

JUDGE JAMES P. GRAY (Ret.) RECEIVED HIS UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE AT UCLA IN 1966, AND HIS LAW DEGREE FROM USC IN 1971. JUDGE GRAY ALSO SERVED WITH THE PEACE CORPS IN PALMAR NORTE, COSTA RICA, WHERE HE TAUGHT PHYSICAL EDUCATION, RECREATION AND HEALTH FROM 1966 TO 1968. FROM 1972 UNTIL 1975, JUDGE GRAY WAS A STAFF JUDGE ADVOCATE AND CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR THE U.S. NAVY JAG CORPS AT THE NAVAL AIR STATIONS IN GUAM AND LEMOORE, CALIFORNIA. WHILE IN THE SERVICE, HE WAS AWARDED NATIONAL DEFENSE, VIETNAM SERVICE AND COMBAT ACTION RIBBONS. JUDGE GRAY WAS A FEDERAL PROSECUTOR WITH THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN LOS ANGELES, WHERE HE EVENTUALLY HEADED A UNIT THAT PROSECUTED VARIOUS FRAUDS AGAINST THE VA, FHA AND OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES. AFTER WORKING IN PRIVATE PRACTICE IN NEWPORT BEACH IN CIVIL LITIGATION WITH THE LAW FIRM OF WYMAN, BAUTZER, ROTHMAN & KUCHEL, JUDGE GRAY WAS APPOINTED BY GOVERNOR DEUKMEJIAN TO THE SANTA ANA MUNICIPAL COURT IN DECEMBER OF 1983, WHERE HE WAS ACTIVE IN TRYING TO COMBAT THE MAJOR PROBLEM OF ALCOHOL-RELATED OFFENSES. HE WAS AWARDED A COMMENDATION FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR THESE EFFORTS IN 1990. JUDGE JIM GRAY WAS ELEVATED BY GOVERNOR DEUKMEJIAN TO THE ORANGE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT IN JULY OF 1989, WHERE HE RECEIVED AWARDS AS THE 1992 "JUDGE OF THE YEAR" BY THE BUSINESS LITIGATION SECTION OF THE ORANGE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION, THE 1995 "JUDGE OF THE YEAR" BY THE ORANGE COUNTY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS FOUNDATION. HE RETIRED AFTER 25 YEARS ON THE BENCH IN JANUARY OF 2009, AND NOW WORKS IN PRIVATE MEDIATION FOR ADR SERVICES, INC. IN IRVINE. JUDGE JAMES P. GRAY HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE CALIFORNIA JUDICIAL COUNCIL, THE ALCOHOL ADVISORY BOARD TO THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, THE ADVISORY BOARD TO THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOL & DRUG PROGRAMS, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE VOLUNTEER CENTER OF ORANGE COUNTY AS WELL AS THE ORANGE COUNTY LAW LIBRARY, AND HAS SERVED AS AN ELECTED MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE ORANGE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT. HE ALSO WAS THE FOUNDING PRESIDENT OF THE WILLIAM P. GRAY CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN INNS OF COURT; A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF COUNCILORS OF THE USC LAW SCHOOL; A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE ON JUVENILE JUSTICE FOR THE CALIFORNIA JUDICIAL COUNCIL; AND A FOUNDER OF PEER COURT, WHICH ADJUDICATES REAL JUVENILE CASES IN NUMBERS OF ORANGE COUNTY'S HIGH SCHOOLS USING STUDENTS AS JURORS. HE IS THE AUTHOR OF WHY OUR DRUG LAWS HAVE FAILED AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT - A JUDICIAL INDICTMENT OF THE WAR ON DRUGS (TEMPLE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2001), AND WEARING THE ROBE: THE ART AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF JUDGING IN TODAY'S COURTS (SQUARE ONE PRESS, 2009) He's also THE COMPOSER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL "AMERICANS ALL" (HEUER PUBLISHING), AND HE ALSO WRITES A WEEKLY COLUMN ABOUT ISSUES OF OUR DAY FOR THE DAILY PILOT NEWSPAPER. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JUDGE JAMES P. GRAY, PLEASE VISIT HIS WEBSITE AT WWW.JUDGEJIMGRAY.COM.