IN THE NEWS

Newport Beach Resident Judge James Gray Is No Stranger To Controversy
And Being At The Center Of Attention

Hardly a week goes by these days when James Gray's name doesn't appear
in newsprint.

Gray, an Orange County Superior Court judge, has found himself at the
center of the raging debate over how the county should use the closed
El Toro Marine Corps Air Station after issuing a blistering ruling.

In a July 31 ruling, Gray, who has lived in Newport Beach for almost a
year, dressed down Orange County airport planners before invalidating
the names on a South County petition to install a central park at the
closed base. Calling the airport debate "the most fractionated issues
in my time in Orange County," the veteran judge criticized county
leaders for failing to weigh the benefits and limitations of an
airport "openly and honestly."

Gray then voided the signatures collected by Communities for Safe and
Healthy Communities. If the ruling is upheld on appeal, the South
County group could lose more than 140,000 names and the chance to
submit its initiative for a countywide vote in March.

South County leaders have vowed to overturn Gray's ruling, which will
be heard in the state's San Diego appellate court.

"The judge erred in applying the law," anti-airport activist Leonard
Kranser said. "We're confident it will be overturned."

Last week, in a story in the Los Angeles Times, Gray revealed that he
had been working to convince a longtime friend wanted for a 1997
murder to surrender to the police.

The man, Hugh "Randy" McDonald, disappeared four years ago, leaving
behind his law practice, family and Corona del Mar home.

McDonald was wanted in connection with the murder of Janie Pang, the
wife of a businessman who had hired the attorney's firm. He was
arrested earlier this month after allegedly staging his own suicide at
the Golden Gate Bridge.

McDonald was hiding out in Reseda under a phony name, while still
collecting Social Security checks, officials say.

"He is a very good friend," Gray said. "All of these allegations are
absolutely bizarre."

On Monday, Gray was in the spotlight again, as the Catholic church's
Orange Diocese announced a $5.2-million payout to the alleged victim
of sexual abuse by a well-known priest. Gray approved the settlement.

Gray's no stranger to such controversy. He first caught the public eye
in 1992 when he staged a press conference to announce he supported the
decriminalization of heroin, cocaine and other illegal drugs.

Since then, the former federal prosecutor has waged his own campaign
against the "war on drugs."

In a recently published book titled "Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and
What We Can Do About It," Gray lays out his case for government
regulation of the substances.

"The drugs are dangerous, but the drug money is really aggravating the
problem," Gray said. "The drugs are so dangerous that they need to be
brought under control."

Hoping to ride his message to higher office, Gray ran for a seat in
Congress in 1998. At the time, the Republican Gray took on Rep. Bob
Dornan, but finished third in the primary. Dornan went on to lose to
now-Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez.

Gray also campaigned vigorously in support of Proposition 36, the
successful statewide ballot measure that would funnel drug offenders
to a treatment program rather than local jails.

And adding to the El Toro controversy, early on in his political bid,
Gray met with Newport Beach activist Dave Ellis, who now is the
spokesman for the Airport Working Group. Gray said he was searching
for a campaign consultant.

However, no money was ever exchanged between the two.

"I don't know him," Ellis said. "And I bet he barely remembers me."