Censured Santa Cruz County judge not running for reelection

A Santa Cruz County judge who was censured for trying to have a traffic ticket dismissed has announced that she is not running for reelection.

Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Ariadne J. Symons said in a post on her website that she will not be running for several reasons, including an upcoming major surgery, the death of a friend, the death of a friend’s daughter and a lack of joy at the prospect of another six-year term.

“At this point in my life, I wish to focus my personal energy on engaging in our community in ways other than being on the bench – building on the support I have provided to a wide variety of local causes and organizations. I will continue to serve on the bench until my term expires at the end of 2020,” Symons said.

Earlier this year, California’s Commission on Judicial Performance imposed a severe public censure on Symons after it said she ran a red light and tried to have the ticket dismissed. The commission said the traffic violation came after a history of disciplinary issues.

The commission said that. after Symons was caught on camera driving through a red light, a ticket was sent to her husband because the car was registered to him. The judge helped her husband try to get the ticket dismissed, never identifying herself as the driver, the commission said.

Symons has worked in public service for 38 years. She started at the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office in 1997 and became a judge in 2009.