Meet the Superior Court Judge Candidate: Gregory Kreis

In partnership with KMUD News, Redheaded Blackbelt is publishing a Meet the Candidate interview series with the candidates and incumbents running for elected positions within Humboldt County. Each candidate, interviewed by the KMUD News Department, was asked a series of questions. None were given the questions in advance, and each were allotted 15 minutes to answer the questions and provide their closing statement.

KMUD News interviewed the incumbent and challenger for Humboldt County Superior Court Judge. We will be featuring one candidate per day, in alphabetical order. Today we are featuring the incumbent, Superior Court Judge, Gregory Kreis. 

KMUD News: Introduce yourself and share a little overview and background on who you are as a person and who you would like to be as a candidate. 

Hello, Humboldt. This is Judge Greg Kreis. I am your current Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of Humboldt County. I’ve been a judge now for over six years, and thus far, I have attempted to work tirelessly to serve everyone in this county impartially, with integrity, fairness, accessibility, and [with] a commitment to justice. 

I …lived in Humboldt County from ‘90 to ‘95, where I went to school at Humboldt State, now Cal Poly, of course, and I moved away in ‘95, to get my law degree. …Then I worked as an attorney down in the Sacramento area–Auburn–and many of the jurisdictions around there, as a criminal defense attorney for a firm that had a criminal defense contract for the public defender’s office. When the main public office had conflicts, they went to our firm. I did that for over seven years. I was then hired by Kevin Robinson up here in the Humboldt County Public Defender’s Office. …I’d always wanted to come back, [so] I put an interest card in for several different jobs simply because I love Humboldt County’s social diversity, openness, and the community heart that it has. 

I then worked for the Public Defender’s Office in Humboldt County for two years. I was then promoted to supervise the conflict office, which is when the Public Defender’s Office in this county has too many cases and they split them into the conflict office. So I did that for another seven years, when Governor Brown then appointed me, …after a committee review …that I went through to qualify me. [They] reach[ed] out to all the attorneys [and] judges …that I currently was working with when I was appointed, and their decision was that I was well-qualified, and they appointed me …to the bench. 

So … between my 20 years of experience, I have tribal, criminal, civil, family-law experience, and I am hoping to take that, and all these years of experience I have, and from living up here–this time from 2010, until now. [I] love this community, [I] feel like a part of it, and I’m hoping that the voters will see that.

Look at my endorsements, which come from both sides of the aisle, because this is a nonpartisan office, which is why I [no longer register] as a Democrat. I registered ‘No Party Preference’. I don’t want …an appearance of bias. And I’m hoping that will go a long way …with folks who don’t want to deal …with the partisan politics that we see so often. 

And I’m really excited to be here.

KMUD News: Can you provide a brief overview of your qualifications and experiences that uniquely equip you for the role as Superior Court Judge?

I would love to, thank you. 

Yeah, …really where it started was when I was at Humboldt State. I was really moved by the Civil Rights. Obviously, you have that in high school, however, now, better than when I was a kid– [I] graduated high school  back in ‘87. So, when I moved here and got the education–I got to Humboldt State–I majored in a Bachelor of Arts and Social Science, with an emphasis in Native American Ethnic Studies, Sociology and Psychology. That education with the local tribes here, (I had a couple of different tribal members who were my professors), and that really got me interested in working with tribes. So when I went to law school with that basis, I started working with California Indian Legal Services. I did that for two years. And then when I left there, I went to a small boutique firm, while I was waiting for bar results, representing Indian tribes in Sacramento. 

But then I decided I really wanted to be a part of representing indigent people, and doing that in a trial court. I wanted to …basically be a trial attorney, which has been an amazing experience now as a judge, because if there’s one thing that you need, it’s that experience when you… get into a courtroom and you’re in a Family Law assignment, as an example, which was my first assignment. I did four years of family law. I didn’t know anything about family law. So the Judicial Council gives education classes, amazing support, [and] the staff at the courthouse was amazing, and supporting me as well. But those experiences at the school and at law school at California Indian Legal Services, and then as an attorney, really made me excited to take that and make that into a judicial career. 

KMUD News: Will you elaborate on your judicial philosophy and how you approach decision making.?

Okay, great. That’s a great question. 

Really, what you want the most when you’re on the bench, and what my philosophy is, is give people who come in, whether they’re represented by attorneys or not, the opportunity to be heard. So even on my bench, I have a sign that says, ‘Listen’, just to remind you that folks are coming in for access to justice. They need to be heard. They feel they’ve been wronged, or they’re accused of something …that they think is not accurate, and giving them the chance to talk and just be heard is …one of my biggest philosophies. 

Now sometimes as a judge, you have to control your courtroom, and some people are very sad or angry, and sometimes you have to be stern, but I always try to balance that sternness with knowing that I am listening to you. And I’ve heard you. And I’ll try to talk back so they know that I’m listening to them. So, I think …that. is the biggest philosophy as far as in the courtroom as a judge. 

And then, of course, I take the facts they give me [and] I apply the law, I try to do it perfectly–sometimes I don’t–but luckily, we have an appellate system that can correct me and say, ‘Well, that was good, but here you needed that adjustment. And then you learn. So that’s …a many-leveled question …but generally speaking, I find that’s a great place to start for when I sit on the bench with…these community members coming in.

KMUD News: If elected, are there any goals you would like to accomplish?

Well, I’ve been Presiding Judge …three years in January, so, I’m continuing to try to assist with access to justice. That’s one of my biggest goals. Before COVID hit, I was Assistant Presiding Judge, and then went into the Presiding Judge role. And Zoom really helped that so people that are out …in the outlying areas of our community can come in …to court through Zoom. I want to keep doing that, to make sure people can get to court. 

I also want to continue what we’ve done, which is we have domestic violence restraining orders, you can go online, and you can fill those out now. So really, access to justice for the community, actually this huge County, …has been important to me and will continue to be.

KMUD News: With your remaining time would you like to share additional information about yourself or any closing remarks? 

I think my biggest message is that I have 20 years of experience in the law. I’ve been a judge now for over six years. I have the endorsements of every area of the community; the left, the right, law enforcement, criminal defense attorneys, district attorneys, elected officials – on the right, on the left, and if you go to my website at reelectjudgekreis.com, you’ll see my list. You’ll also see who I am. And it just gives more information so when people go to the polls, they can see this isn’t about one endorsement of a group, or a couple… This is the entire community that endorses me. And I’m hoping that everyone who’s listening will, when they go to the polls in March, will vote …for me to be able to continue to give access to justice, and fairness to everybody in this community.

Candidate answers were transcribed from an audio interview, and lightly edited for reading clarification where noted. 

For more information on Gregory Kreis’ campaign, visit the Reelect Judge Kreis website, on Instagram, or contact Kreis at [email protected].

Humboldt County Meet the Candidate Forums:

1st District Candidates:

• Meet the Candidate: Jerry McGuire
• Meet the Candidate: Gordon Clatworthy
• Meet the Candidate: Rex Bohn

2nd District Candidates:

• Meet the Candidate: Brian Roberts
• Meet the Candidate: Jeana McClendon
• Meet the Candidate: Michelle Bushnell

3rd District Candidates:

• Meet the Candidate: Mike Wilson
• *Note: 3rd District Candidate, Roy Gomez, declined to participate in the KMUD Meet the Candidate forums.

Superior Court Judge:

• Meet the Superior Court Judge Candidate: Gregory Kreis
• Meet the Superior Court Judge Candidate: April Van Dyke