JUDGE CANDIDATES RAISE $158,000 FOR TWO RACES JUDICIAL CAMPAIGNS PRICEY CONTESTS.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LANCASTER - With three days left before the March 7 election, candidates in the two judges' races have raised $158,295 and spent $144,891, making it one of the most expensive local races in Antelope Valley history.

Leading in the fund-raising race is attorney William Clark, who has so far received $44,689 in contributions and spent $43,195, followed by family law specialist David Bianchi, who has raised $42,172 and spent $32,545.

Judge Pamela Rogers lists contributions totaling $41,356 and expenditures of $39,392, and Deputy District District Attorney Chris Estes has raised $30,078 and spent $29,759.

The candidates filed statements with county officials covering their campaign activity for the period ending Feb. 19. Attorney Larry Layton has filed papers indicating he will not raise or spend more than $1,000.

Bianchi and Estes are running for the seat being vacated by Judge William Seelicke. In the other judicial election, Rogers is facing Clark and Layton.

In the 1994 judicial contest between Rogers and Commissioner Victor Reichman, both campaigns raised and spent $308,969. In that same year, more than $246,000 was raised and spent in the Antelope Valley Hospital board race.

Estes' and Rogers' campaign documents show a link to a committee that in the last Palmdale city election supported the three winning candidates, Kevin Carney, Mike Dispenza and Rod Penner.

Carney, a former high school trustee and sheriff's sergeant, resigned his office after being charged with molesting four girls.

The committee has since changed its name to Citizens for a Safer Community, according to county election officials.

Rogers' records show her campaign made nonmonetary contributions of mailers and postage, worth $8,387, to the committee. Estes' statement shows his campaign made nonmonetary contributions of postage valued at $2,488 to the committee.

Estes' records show nonmonetary contributions in the form of campaign literature and mailing and postage valued at $7,078 from the committee, while Rogers' documents show $579 in nonmonetary contributions in the form of postage from the committee.

Clark's contributions include a $25,000 loan from Santa Clarita developer Larry Rasmussen and a $600 loan from Clark to his campaign. Donors include Rasmussen, $5,000; $1,000 from retiree Lillian Clark; $500 each from Robertson's Palmdale Honda, Acton-based Kyllo Inc., Montana-based Lost Lake Cattle Ranch, Arthur Furtado, and Takeo's Restaurant; $400 from Lancaster-based Able 2 Help; $300 from Sylmar-based Valley Concrete Placing; $250 from onion grower John Calandri; $200 each from High Desert Chiropractic, Moll Chiropractic Center, Lancaster attorney Sue Ann Howard, and Janice Hume; $150 from retiree Marguerite Holloway; and $100 each from retirees Lawrence Decker, Edward Walsh, Paul Beeson, Palmdale manufacturer Arthur Burckle and Van Nuys attorney Frank Disabatino.

Clark has spent money on campaign paraphernalia, ballot statement, fund-raising events, campaign literature and mailings, television or cable air time, radio air time, postage, and print ads.

Bianchi has made $25,000 in loans to himself. His contributors include Lancaster retiree Murray Shekter, $1,000; Essex House, $500; Lancaster attorney Brian Reed, $500; Palmdale attorney David Jeffries, $500; retiree Vernon Hitchcock, $500; John Calandri, $500; physician Indu Jain, $500; Camacho Auto Sales, $250; hospital board member Larry Chimbole, $250; financial planner Timothy Hayes, $250; attorney Nolen Milburn, $249; Lancaster attorney Robert Johnson, $200; Lancaster retiree Richard Cox, $200; Delmar VanDam of VanDam Farms, $200; attorney Frank Michelizzi, $200; Lancaster physician Javeed Ahmed, $200; and Lancaster attorney James Burton, $200.

Other contributors are Greco-Bowman Chiropractic, $198; funeral director LeeRoy Halley, $198; insurance agent Stephen Dill, $150; Lancaster mortgage broker Fumie Vigil, $150; Palmdale law firm Epson, Milburn & Kahl, $150; court reporter Melanie Kahler, $149; Lancaster attorney David Collins, $100; Palmdale attorney Richard White, $100; Lancaster attorney Volodor Kuzyk, $100; Lancaster physician Robert Lawrence, $100; Ron Carter, $100; Lancaster Morgana Motors, $100; pharmacist Dan Kivisto, $100; retiree Roy Simi, $100; insurance agent Samuel Maston, $100; homemaker Joni Jackson, $100; and Judge Frank Jackson, $100.

Nonmonetary contributions include use of a billboard from attorney Volodar Kuzyk valued at $1,700; newspaper advertisement from attorney Tom Ward valued at $150; and lumber for signs from contractor Harold King valued at $200.

Bianchi's expenditures are for print ads, campaign paraphernalia, and campaign consultants.

Rogers lists $1,805 in monetary contributions, including $300 from Judge Michael Luros; $250 each from Acton attorney Jonathan Trevillyan and Lancaster attorney Mark Thompson; and $100 from insurance agent Jim McGuire; and a $10,000 loan to her campaign from her husband, Judge Randolph Rogers.

The remaining contributions total $29,551, and are nonmonetary donations mostly from her husband, Judge Randolph Rogers, in the form of printing, signs, advertising, mailers, lumber, copies, and postage.

Also listed are nonmonetary contributions of $5,985 in the form of mailers from Carrol Parris, wife of attorney R. Rex Parris.

Rogers' expenditures include printed envelopes, consulting, and mailers.

Estes' donors include Northridge law firm Volchok, Volchok & Zayon, $2,000; Senior Systems Technology, $2,000; law office of R. Rex Parris, $1,000; attorney Robert Parris, $1,000; Lancaster attorney Scott Idleman, $1,000; contractor Johnny Zamrzla, $1,000; Woodland Hills attorney Eugene Comroe, $1,000; Cardiff by the Sea attorney Jordan Cohen, $1,000; Encino attorney Blake Holler, $1,000; San Diego attorney Craig Miller, $1,000; and insurance firm Frank Visco and Associates, $1,000.

Other contributors include Northridge BKP Chiropractic, $396; Judge Michael Luros, $300; Dr. Robert Lawrence, $200; Able 2 Help, a business in Lancaster, $199; physician Ruth Oren, $198; Lancaster law firm Menefee and Lepore, $198; Lancaster attorney David Ambill, $198; Norman Hickling, $198; Lancaster attorney Todd Marsh, $198; attorney Jonathan Trevillyan, $180; Los Angeles law firm Fine & Chais, $100; Deputy Public Defender Manual Martinez, $100; attorney JoMarie Martinez, $100; El Segundo law firm Nishimura and Saunders, $100; Clark and Howard Towing;, $100; Palmdale Pawnshop, $100; Schooner's Restaurant, $100; Lancaster attorney Susan Baumberger, $100; La Mesa attorney Clayton Anderson, $100;

Estes also lists a $1,000 loan from attorney Scott Idleman, an attorney in the office of R. Rex Parris, and $858 in nonmonetary contributions in the form of food and supplies from Carrol Parris.

Estes' expenditures include television or cable air time and production costs, print ads, campaign worker salaries, fund-raising events, signs, campaign literature and mailings, postage, filing fee, and ballot statement.

Estes also listed an accrued expense of $650 for information technology costs; $1,440 for cable air time; and $720 for a fund-raising event.

Bianchi's practice is in family law, adoptions, estate planning and probate law. He was deputy city attorney for Lancaster between 1984 and 1987 and has served as a volunteer judge pro tem.

After graduating from Pepperdine University Law School, Estes worked as a civil attorney for three years before joining the District Attorney's Office in 1994.

Clark, who has lived in the Antelope Valley since 1968 and is a resident of Palmdale, is an attorney who handles defense, family law and bankruptcy matters.

Layton owns and operates the Larry H. Layton School of Law. He has been in private practice since 1975 and in Acton since 1987. In the 1980s he volunteered as judge pro tem, handling small claims, traffic and civil cases.

Rogers has been a judge since 1995. Before that she was a prosecutor in the District Attorney's Office in Lancaster and a professor at La Verne College of Law.