San Mateo County Deputy District Attorney

By Susan Irene Etezadi

Biographical Information

I have spent my entire career in a courtroom. I have prosecuted 71 jury trials and conducted thousands of miscellaneous hearings and court trials over the years. I am committed to ensuring that our community is a safe place for its citizens. I have prosecuted domestic violence crimes, sexual assault crimes, career criminal crimes, homicide cases, mental health cases, environmental crimes, general felony and misdemeanor crimes. I have prosecuted more homicides than any other woman prosecutor in San Mateo County. I have handled numerous complex and lengthy jury trials. I now also file civil lawsuits in the Environmental Crimes Unit of our office. As a result of my extensive and varied trial experience, I am very familiar with the general rules of evidence and courtroom procedure. I have distinguished myself within my career.
I teach criminal law classes at the College of San Mateo at night and trial advocacy to prosecutors nationally at the National College of District Attorneys. I have also taught general criminal law subjects to local law enforcement, dispatchers, and to prosecutors throughout the state.
I believe in public service and community involvement. I am active on the Board of the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County and serve as Secretary for the Women Lawyers of San Mateo County. Through my public service and community involvement, I have enjoyed meeting many wonderful and dedicated civil practitioners in our community.
On a personal note, I grew up in a diverse cultural home. My father was Persian and my mother is from an Irish background. I lived in Iran as a child, was raised Catholic, attended an international school where I was exposed to people from all over the world. I grew up with a respect and appreciation for people from varied cultures and backgrounds. Above all, I value hard work, ethics and honesty.
In 1993 I appeared in the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands on behalf of my family in a lawsuit against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The opinion is published, the experience was unforgettable and provided me with yet another legal perspective. Very few lawyers have had the privilege of appearing in World Court, The Hague, Netherlands.
I have committed my entire career to public service. I would like to continue in this tradition by serving as a San Mateo County Superior Court Judge.
Our county is diverse and all of our citizens are entitled to be treated equally without regard to their race, creed, sexual orientation, cultural or economic circumstances. I have tremendous respect for the law enforcement community and believe that public safety is paramount. I also believe that a judge should be hard working, polite, patient, fair and respectful. Individuals who appear in a courtroom are entitled to be heard and treated with respect and dignity. Given the opportunity to serve our community as a judge, I will be courteous, fair-minded, balanced and unbiased in my approach to cases. I am clearly the law enforcement choice in this judicial election. I would appreciate your support and vote in the June 6th, 2006 primary election. Please visit my website for additional information at http://www.susanetezadi.com

Sincerely,
Susan Irene Etezadi,
San Mateo County Deputy District Attorney