Ventura County (Ventura)
Career Highlights: Retired May 4, 2022; Appointed by Gov. George Deukmejian to the Ventura County Superior Court, 1986; partner, Lucking, Bertelsen, Bysshe, Kutler & Smiley, 1975-86; associate, Lucking Bertelsen, Bysshe Kutler & Smiley, 1973-75
Law School: Southwestern University School of Law, 1973
Career Highlights: Retired May 4, 2022; Appointed by Gov. George Deukmejian to the Ventura County Superior Court, 1986; partner, Lucking, Bertelsen, Bysshe, Kutler & Smiley, 1975-86; associate, Lucking Bertelsen, Bysshe Kutler & Smiley, 1973-75
Law School: Southwestern University School of Law, 1973
VENTURA — After half a century immersed in family law, Judge John Smiley has developed some ideas about how things could be done differently.
For starters, the Ventura County Superior Court judge doesn’t believe custody and visitation issues should be dealt with by judges.
“That whole segment of our business ought not to be in the court system, which is designed to have two adversaria... (continued)
