Judge, Office 2 — Marin County Superior Court

I was raised in Marin County with Marin values. I went to Terra Linda High School and I have served to protect this county for over a decade. My family came here as WWII refugees after my grandfather fought the Nazis as a Partisan fighter.  After WWII they found themselves trapped behind the Iron Curtain. They immigrated here with my mother in 1951 with nothing but a dream. In 1956 my grandfather founded Caffe Trieste in North Beach and in 1978 my family opened Caffe Trieste in Sausalito where my mother, Sonia Giotta Pantaleo, worked for years.  My father, Nicola Pantaleo, immigrated here from Italy as well and worked as a blue collar worker his whole life. They worked hard to provide a home and opportunity for us in Terra Linda since I was two years old.   I was the only person in my family to attend college.  

I graduated with honors from the University of Southern California with a double major in Political Science and International Relations.  I taught international relations at Adams Middle School in South Central with my classmates from U.S.C.  My thesis in political science was entitled “How the California Proposition System Adversely Affects Minority Groups.”  My thesis for international relations was a comparative study of counter-terrorism in a democratic state: Italy’s response to Red Brigades v. Abu Nidal.  I received honors for both works.  After college I worked for three years in civil law firms as a litigation paralegal, including managing the discovery for a large international client.  At U.C. Hastings College of the Law, I externed for the Honorable Maxine Chesney, U.S. District Court, Northern California District and clerked for the Alameda County and San Francisco County District Attorney’s Office. I was also awarded the National Lawyers Guild Hastings Student Chapter 2004 Honoree.

I am an active member of Rotary Club, San Rafael, Soroptimist International of Marin County and a multitude of legal associations, clubs and organizations.

I have lived in Marin most of my life.  My family instilled in me a tough work ethic, a love of people and a passion for freedom and justice.  My Marin family instilled in me the values of caring for this community, the environment, our schools and each other.   As a Judge, I would bring these shared Marin values to the bench. 

During my time with the Marin County District Attorney’s Office, I have litigated against some of Marin County’s most respected defense attorneys and I’m humbled to say that many of them have come forward to endorse and support my candidacy for judge because they believe I will be a fair and ethical judge.  As a sexual assault prosecutor, I reviewed hundreds of referrals and had to make the tough decisions of what to file and if we can prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt.  These decisions profoundly affect the lives of victims and potential defendants as these charges can send someone to prison for life.  I have litigated complex, emotionally charged cases with child victims, rape victims, domestic violence victims, gangs, human trafficking and other violent crimes. These cases involve DNA evidence, technology based evidence, sophisticated legal issues and trials that require a high level of ethics, mastery of procedure, law, the evidence code and protection of constitutional rights and due process.  

As a judge, you have to make decisions on the spot in serious cases that profoundly affect the parties and the community.  You do not want these cases reversed because of a judge with little, actual real life experience in the courtroom.  I have real, gritty courtroom experience in hundreds of hearings and a multitude of complex jury trials such as serial child molestation, rape, child pornography, stabbings, mentally disordered offender, firearms, narcotics sales and domestic violence.  

I understand the gravity of the decisions that are made in these cases and how important it is to be fair to all sides and seek the truth for a just result.  As a judge, I will have a measuring stick in which to independently measure each case for its worth and to help determine what is fair to all sides.   I will also have a profound knowledge of complex sentencing laws through my experience to ensure fair and equitable sentencing for each individual, not just what is politically attractive or expedient.  

My upbringing and my extensive real life courtroom experience prosecuting some of the most difficult cases imaginable has uniquely prepared me to serve as a fair, experienced and respectful judge. 

I believe that no one person can affect more people’s lives directly in our system of government than a judge. The decisions that a judge makes in cases affect not only the parties, but often times the entire community.  This is especially true in criminal justice where a judge’s ruling can determine an individual’s freedom, conviction, punishment, the victim’s rights, and the communities’ safety.  Having served for over eleven years as a prosecutor making very tough, life altering decisions that profoundly affect the rights and live of victims, defendants and the safety of the community, I am ready to serve as your Judge.  I promise to serve as fair, well-tempered and respectful judge. I understand the gravitas of a judge’s decisions because I have been living with them for years. I bring the experience, sound judgment, values and commitment to our community that is critical in serving as a fair judge committed to equality, due process and the rule of law.

Full Endorsements HERE

                         VOTE for Nicole

Civil Law

•   Civil Litigation Trial Attorney, 7+ years

•   Both Plaintiff & Defense

•   Practice areas:  Securities Arbitration, Mediation, Employment Law, Family Law, Complex Torts, Contracts, Workers Compensation, Landlord/Tenant, Maritime Law, and White Collar Criminal Defense

 Criminal Law

•   Deputy District Attorney, 15+ years

•   Currently serving Marin County as a Deputy District Attorney IV, assigned to a felony trial department team

•   50+ Jury Trials, plus over 1,000 hearings and court appearances

•   Practice Areas and Assignments:  Marin County Major Crimes Task Force Liaison, Coordinator of the Insurance Fraud Unit 2006-2015, Financial Elder Abuse, Violent Crime/Felony Trial Departments, Domestic Violence Unit, Real Estate Fraud, Welfare Fraud, In-Home Health Care Fraud, Life & Annuity Fraud, Workers Compensation Fraud, Automobile Insurance Fraud, Fish & Game Crimes, Summer Intern Program Supervisor, DUI Violations, and Misdemeanors.

 Professional Timeline

 Deputy District Attorney

Sacramento District Attorney’s Office 1993-1994

Deputy District Attorney

Marin County District Attorney’s Office 1994-1995

Associate Civil Litigation Attorney

Witwer, Poltrock & Giampietro (Chicago, IL) 1995-1997

(During this time, Tom’s wife, Gail, earned her MBA at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and Tom and Gail also welcomed their first child, Maggie, into the world.)

Solo Practitioner – Civil Litigation

Civil Litigation Trial Expert (San Rafael, CA) 1997-1998

Associate Civil Litigation Attorney

Keesal, Young & Logan (San Francisco, CA) 1998-2002

Deputy District Attorney

Marin County District Attorney’s Office 2002-Present

Currently serving Marin County as a Deputy District Attorney IV

Our society cannot afford to have activist judges who make decisions based upon party affilliation or bias.  Our elected governmnet officials and representatives can advance agendas for us, but judges cannot.  Judges must be fair, ethical, and impartial at every turn, with a deep commitment to following the law and serving justice for all.  

Marin’s current Judges are forward-thinking and constantly seek to improve our civil and criminal justice systems.  I embrace our collaborative courts within the criminal justice system, which provide alternatives to incarceration for the addicted and the mentally ill and help families in crisis move forward.   I also admire the current judges for their commitment to increasing access to the Courts and for developing programs to speed the process and allow smoother navigation of many areas of the civil justice system.  

However, I think we can still increase efficiency, reduce backlog, and better serve the financially disadvantaged and mentally ill.    

Mine is a family of immigrants. My grandmother fled the Russian Revolution to settle on a farm in upstate New York. She scrimped pennies and nickels for a very long time, finally saving $5 to hire an attorney to successfully fight unfair billing for farmers.

My father fled Ireland to escape political prosecution and died when I was very young. My widowed mother went into Mafia meetings wired for sound, to help the FBI and the Kefauver Committee fight corruption.

My family's commitment to fairness and the law resulted in me becoming a civil law attorney, practicing first in Louisiana and then in Marin after I married. My deceased husband and I raised our two sons here.

Community participation is an important part of my family life. My sons remember doing their homework in the hall outside of rooms where I was attending meetings.

To protect fair legal processes or public assets, I have served in a variety of elected, appointed, or volunteer positions, in a wide variety of civic and governmental organizations. Since 2002, I have served on various Citizen's Oversight Committees to renovate Marin Schools -- $500 million of public bonds for Tamalpais Union High School District, College of Marin, and elementary schools.

My most visible civic involvement was the 25-year fight to return one of our most valuable assets, the publicly-owned Marin General Hospital, first leased in 1985, to local control under the Marin Healthcare District. While an elected MHD Director (1986-1994), I drafted a significant amendment to California's Health and Safety code in 1992, regarding District Hospitals. The California legislature passed it unanimously as urgency legislation. In 2015, representing a Marin resident pro bono, I obtained a settlement affirming that MGH can never again be transferred without a public vote.

Fair, tough, and principled is in my DNA.

PS. I do like to have fun, and attend the New Orleans Jazz Festival as often as I can.

For 25 years, I’ve served in the Marin County District Attorney’s office to secure justice for victims. I’ve handled a tremendously varied caseload (from fraud and embezzlement to child and spousal abuse), engaging colleagues, families, and law professionals with equal fairness, sound judgment, and an absolute respect for the rule of law.

This experience, commitment to justice, and dedication have earned me the support of community leaders, law enforcement, and educators county-wide. 

I promise to bring all of my experience to the position of Judge, and serve with thoughtfulness, integrity, fairness, and an unwavering commitment to justice.

The career I’ve chosen and my life-long community participation is all based on my dedication to service and achieving a better world for all. Whether Republican or Democrat, I would expect that anyone serving in our field (lawyer or Judge) would share an unwavering and enduring commitment to justice. That’s our job.

I bring a wide spectrum of expertise and have advanced training and experience in dispute resolution.  This experience will boost settlement of court cases and reduce the use of limited court resources.  My experience includes:

·         Hundreds of Successful Criminal Jury & Bench Trials

·         24 years in Civil and Family Law Litigation

·         Trusted & Qualified Legal Counsel for Minors & Children with Special Needs & Learning Disabilities      

·         Collaborative Practice that has settled numerous disputes, without resorting to court litigation

·         Experienced and Highly Trained Mediator  

·         Corporate Law

·         Appeals Court Litigation

·         Real Estate Broker

·         Project Management of Commercial & Residential Properties   

My decisiveness, strong negotiating skills, and business and financial acumen give me a particular edge in problem solving and decision making in complex situations.  I have performed untold bench and jury trials, particularly as a Rule 9 public defender.

I have also been very active in civic service, which keeps me connected to our community.  These include:

·         Settlement panelist for County of Marin Civil and Family law cases

·         Extensive Volunteer for the Family Law Center, for persons with low and moderate income

·         Two Time Recipient of the Wiley W. Manuel Pro-Bono Award for Legal Aid

·         Committee Chair, Kentfield $30M School Bond Oversight Committee

·         Volunteer and mentor for Jewish Family and Children’s Services

o   Marin County Boards and Service Organizations

o   Co-Founder & President of INGO Journey Home, which addresses human trafficking and bonded labor in Nepal and an awareness campaign in Marin County

o   Board Experience includes:

•        Rotary

•        Marin County Bar Association

•        Collaborative Practitioners Marin

•        Co-Chair, California Collaborative Practice Committee

•        National Women’s Political Caucus

•        Marin State Delegate for NWPC

•        Wednesday Morning Dialogue Group

•        Marin’s non-partisan Women’s Political Pack

My education and work experience reflect a comprehensive knowledge and expertise to be an effectual judge.  I have numerous trial successes and my firm, having been a top 3 winner in the Recorder’s Bay area for Family Law Practice in 2015, show my commitment to the community I serve.  I am an avid listener, compassionate and kind, yet can be quite assertive and stern, should the need arise.  I am the “common sense voice” we need as a Marin County Judge.