Santa Barbara Talks with Josh Molina

Santa Barbara Talks 104: Ret. Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Frank Ochoa


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Retired Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Frank Ochoa calls for ranked-choice elections in Santa Barbara. Ochoa, one of the activists behind Santa Barbara's move to District Elections, says that the mayor should be someone who is elected with at least 50.1 percent of the vote. Santa Barbara currently has a system where the top vote-getter wins, regardless of vote percentage. Ochoa and others are pushing for a primary in June and then a runoff between the top two in November. Ochoa has also worked to bring Goleta resident Juana Flores back home permanently.
In 1999, Flores traveled to Mexico to visit her sick mother and attend her funeral. When she returned to the United States, she was stopped by Customs and Border Protection. Although she received several extensions to be allowed to stay in the U.S., on humanitarian grounds, those ended on Feb. 26, 2019. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office ordered Flores back to Mexico, and she voluntarily left the country. Ochoa was able to bring her back in 2021, but only for a year. Ochoa is going to ask Joe Biden for a pardon so she can stay permanently. He is also working with elected officials to create legislation to help her stay home.
Ochoa also talks about the importance of diversity. He shares a story about his father, who was a teacher, and how he encountered discrimination in seeking employment. The retired judge also talks about his work in Santa Barbara County, efforts to divert people from prison, and his approach to the justice system.
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Santa Barbara Talks with Josh MolinaBy Josh Molina

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