County Judge Leaves Bench of Superior Court After 19 Years

For years, Judge William L. Peck has negotiated settlements and resolved disputes to the rhythmic ticks and chimes of a dozen antique clocks that lined the walls of his courtroom chambers.

But now his time has run out.

On Wednesday, the 66-year-old Peck folded up his black robe and quietly walked out of his courtroom and into early retirement after serving 19 years on the Ventura County Superior Court.

“It’s astonishingly difficult,” Peck said of his departure. “A lot of people leave judging at least slightly burned out, saying I’ve had it with the pettiness, the bickering. But I’ve been through that. I’m not burned out. I’ve enjoyed it.”

Now, Peck said he plans to enjoy a little downtime at his Ojai home before going to work as a professional mediator. He is stepping down two years before his term expires and has already signed up with a Santa Barbara mediation firm.

He also intends to submit his name to the state’s judicial council so he can preside over trials as a temporary judge--a potentially lucrative job that pays $397 for each day of service.

“I really am enjoying what I’m doing,” said Peck, who walks away from a job paying more than $100,000 a year. “But I can work less and make more money by retiring than I can by staying here.”

In the meantime, the judges left at the county courthouse plan to shift roles come Monday to fill the void left by Peck’s retirement.

“For those of us who remain, he’s going to be a tough act to follow,” said Judge David W. Long, who will take over as the court’s supervising civil judge.

It’s a position Peck has held for the past three years while handling four to eight settlement conferences a day.

During his tenure, Peck cajoled even the most stubborn litigants into agreements before their trials began and posted an impressive track record for such resolutions.

Of the hundreds of civil cases filed annually, about 85% are resolved within a year. Ninety-three percent are moved through the system within 18 months.

Shiela Gonzalez, the courts’ executive officer, said Peck has played a major role in moving cases swiftly through the system.

“He has contributed greatly to this court,” she said. “I think it’s kind of an end of an era with Judge Peck leaving. He’s from the old school. He’s a taskmaster.”

After a three-year stint as a prosecutor and 18 years in private practice, Peck was appointed to the Superior Court by former Gov. Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown Jr. in 1980. Only one other judge--Bruce A. Clark--has been on the Ventura County bench longer.

Over the years, Peck has presided over criminal trials, divorce proceedings, adoptions and many, many civil trials and settlements.

The bespectacled, bow-tied jurist began his last day on the job, in fact, by settling three cases before lunch, and one after the noon break, along with a handful of other matters.

One of those settlements involved a client of Ventura attorney Tom Brooks, who has appeared before Peck many times over the years.

“I think he’s a very fine judge, we’re going to miss him,” Brooks said. “But then he’s done his time for the county and he deserves some time off.”

Brooks’ case was followed by a complex lawsuit involving five separate parties, all of whom crowded into Peck’s chambers to hash out a final deal.

Seated in a chocolate-brown leather chair, Peck listened as the litigants put their proposed agreement on the record. With the exception of the court stenographer’s rapid tap-a-tap typing, the room was quiet.

Peck had already boxed up his sizable clock collection, leaving the walls bare. Even his gavel was gone, though a hammer rested on a nearby bookcase where he had been yanking out picture hooks.

“Thank you very much, this has been a substantial compromise for everybody,” he said as the parties finalized their case and walked out of his chambers.

Then he lowered his voice.

“They all came in here wanting to fight, and I said, ‘Stop it.”

Often described as a gruff curmudgeon bent on forcing settlements, Peck concedes that he can be tough when it comes to striking a deal. But more often than not, he says, patience and reason prevail over strong-armed tactics.

“We are in the dispute resolution business, “ he said. “The fact of the matter is, if all the cases that come through here go to trial, we don’t have room for it. And that goes for criminal and civil.”

At the end of the day, the court staff carried in a goodbye cake for Peck, who is planning a four-day trip to San Francisco with his wife, Laura, to celebrate.

On Monday, Judge Joe Hadden will move into Peck’s old quarters at the Ventura courthouse and recently appointed Judge Glen Reiser will fill Hadden’s slot in the civil division of the Simi Valley courthouse.

Just before leaving around 5 p.m. Wednesday, Peck gathered together a few remaining papers and a cardboard box of personal possessions before saying his farewells.

“I’ve still got a picture of my wife,” he said with a smile. “I’m going to pack that up and go home.”