When you vote for Don Anderson, you will bring a solid track record of integrity, compassion, and creative thinking to the bench.

I have practiced law in Lake County for 40 years. I have spent most of those years as a criminal defense lawyer. It is in that capacity that I have come to respect the integrity of my opposition, District Attorney Anderson.

I have interacted with Don in all of his many public service roles, as well as his role as a private lawyer. I have never had occasion to doubt his word or to believe that he had some secret agenda. Other than the occasional business lunch, I have never socialized with him. I have no secret agenda in my support for Don. I am convinced that he is not only the most professionally qualified contender, he is the single contender most likely to bring the necessary compassion and judicial temperament to our courts.

While no one can match Judge Hedstrom’s stellar work ethic or depth of judicial experience, Don Anderson is most likely to achieve the appropriate temperament.

We have a proud history on our bench of former district attorneys, including Judge Robert Crone and Judge Stephen Hedstrom. They had “conflicts” as former district attorneys, but those conflicts paled into insignificance in the light of the vast experience they brought to the bench.

It is not only guilty people who come before the courts. Someday, you or a close friend or family member may find yourself wrongfully accused. When that happens, you are going to want to have Don Anderson acting as your judge.

Do yourself a favor, vote for Don Anderson.

Mitchell Hauptman lives in Lakeport, Calif.