Jan Goldsmith

Jan Ira Goldsmith (born January 26, 1951) is a Republican politician from San Diego, California, United States who served as the San Diego City Attorney from 2008 to 2016.

Jan Goldsmith
City Attorney of San Diego
In office
2008–2016
Preceded byMike Aguirre
Succeeded byMara Elliott
Judge of the San Diego Superior Court
In office
1998 – December 2008[1]
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 75th district
In office
1992–1998
Preceded byDede Alpert[2]
Succeeded byCharlene Zettel[3]
Mayor of Poway, California[4]
In office
December 4, 1990 – November 3, 1992
Deputy Mayor: December 5, 1989-December 4, 1990
Preceded byCarl Kruse
Succeeded byDon Higginson, Jr.
Member of the Poway City Council[5]
In office
December 5, 1989 – November 3, 1992
Personal details
Born
Jan Ira Goldsmith[6]

(1951-01-26) January 26, 1951[7]
New Rochelle, New York[7]
NationalityAmerican
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Christine
Children3
EducationAmerican University (BA)
University of San Diego (JD)

Education

He received his undergraduate degree from American University in Washington, DC and his J.D. degree from the University of San Diego School of Law.

Career

Upon graduating from law school he worked in private practice specializing in business litigation. He was also a council member and mayor for the city of Poway, California.[8]

California State Legislature

Goldsmith was elected to three terms in the California state legislature, representing California's 75th State Assembly district from 1992 until 1998. The district covers Poway and other northern suburbs of San Diego County.[8]

According to Goldsmith, his greatest legislative accomplishment had to do with juvenile justice. He chaired the Assembly subcommittee that put together a package of legislation that eventually became initiatives that the public got to vote on. He also felt foster care was another of his accomplishments. He was named legislator of the year for the Children’s Lobby. He carried the legislation that eliminated the bias against trans-racial adoption.[9]

Goldsmith was the author of two bills, in 1994 and 1997, that attempted to legalize ferrets as pets in California. However, the California Department of Fish and Game opposed any introduction of ferrets into the state, and the bills failed.[10]

Superior Court judge

Upon being term limited from the Assembly in 1998, Goldsmith made an unsuccessful bid for California State Treasurer, losing the primary to former Assembly Speaker Curt Pringle, who lost that election and went on to serve as mayor of Anaheim. Following his loss, Goldsmith became a San Diego County Superior Court judge, serving for 9½ years before stepping down to run for San Diego City Attorney.

San Diego City Attorney
See also: 2008 San Diego City Attorney election and 2012 San Diego City Attorney election

Goldsmith ran for San Diego City attorney in 2008. In the June primary he received the most votes (32.2%) among five candidates, but not a majority.[11] In the November runoff he defeated incumbent City Attorney Mike Aguirre, 59.4% to 40.4%.[12] In 2012 he was re-elected without opposition.[13]

In 2010 Goldsmith's office threatened the owners of a local restaurant with fines and jail for charging a fixed service charge instead of tipping; the issue was whether they were violating state disclosure laws. The city attorney later dropped the issue and did not pursue the case.[14]

In 2013, Goldsmith was criticized by Mayor Bob Filner for prosecuting Jeff Olson for chalking anti-bank slogans on city sidewalks outside Bank of America branches, calling it "a stupid case" and a waste of city money.[15] The prosecution was ultimately unsuccessful.[16] With the defendant refusing a plea bargain, facing up to 13 years in jail and US$13,000.00 in fines, Judge Howard Shore admonished Olson's attorney, Tom Tosdal, from mentioning the First Amendment and political speech references during the trial. Additionally, Judge Shore issued a gag order, preventing communications with the media concerning the trial.[17]

Goldsmith and Filner were in conflict almost from the day Filner took office, over several issues including medical marijuana, tourism funding, cuts to the City Attorney budget, road paving bonds, and the presence of Goldsmith's aide at a confidential city meetings.[18][19] Goldsmith was a key figure in the August 2013 mediated negotiations that led to Filner's agreeing to resign.[20]

Goldsmith left the City Attorney's office in 2016 as a result of term limits.

Post-political career

In March 2017 Goldsmith returned to private practice, joining the San Diego law firm Procopio as an of-counsel attorney on its litigation team.[8]

References
  1. Federalist Society Bio
  2. Dede Alpert - Democratic
  3. Charlene Zettel - Republican
  4. City of Poway Mayoral History
  5. City Council History
  6. https://www.martindale.com/coronado/california/jan-ira-goldsmith-ret-190346-a/
  7. California Legislature at Sacramento (1997) - page 201
  8. Cox, John (March 19, 2017). "Former City Attorney Jan Goldsmith Joins Procopio". San Diego Business Journal. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  9. "Jan Goldsmith: interview with Tom Blair". San Diego Magazine. May 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  10. "Ferret issues". Department of Fish and Game. State of California. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  11. "City of San Diego Attorney" (PDF). Direct Primary Election, June 3, 2008. San Diego County Registrar of Voters. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  12. "City of San Diego Attorney" (PDF). General Election, Tuesday, November 4, 2008. San Diego County Registrar. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  13. "City of San Diego Attorney" (PDF). Presidential Primary Election, June 5, 2012. San Diego County Registrar of Voters. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  14. Showley, Roger (March 6, 2010). "Linkery off hook over mandatory-tip policy". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  15. "San Diego mayor, city attorney in dust-up over chalk vandalism case". Los Angeles Times. June 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  16. Perry, Tony (1 July 2013). "San Diego jury acquits chalk protester in sidewalk graffiti case". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 July 2013. That Bank of America had contacted the city attorney's office to urge prosecution had become part of the dispute between the Democratic mayor and Republican city attorney.
  17. Hargrove, Dorian (27 June 2013). "Judge issues gag order in case of man prosecuted for scribbling anti-bank messages in chalk". San Diego Reader. Retrieved 4 July 2013. The decision is in addition to a previous ruling from Shore which prohibits Olson's attorney Tom Tosdal from mentioning the First Amendment, free speech, free expression, public forum, expressive conduct, or political speech during the trial.
  18. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jun/21/mayor-filner-city-attorney-goldsmith-feud-hp/#&panel1-1
  19. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jul/01/filner-goldsmith-feud-ends-closed-sessions/
  20. Wian, Casey (August 21, 2013). "San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, city reach mediation deal, city attorney says". CNN. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
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