By Roger Riffenburgh
What distinguishes Ted Stroll as a candidate for state assembly is his deep knowledge of criminal law and the criminal justice system. His experience is so needed at a time when the state legislature is widely seen to be out of step with views of the public. For 25 years he worked as a judicial staff attorney at the Supreme Court of California and at the Sixth District Court of Appeal in San Jose. It’s a job that requires detailed legal research and negotiation to reach a coherent consensus among appellate justices.
Another key issue in Stroll’s campaign is homelessness. He says, “Sacramento has enabled destructive behavior with well-meaning but misguided notions of compassion. We have not adequately addressed crime and the mental illness and addiction that contribute to homelessness. This must change.”
Ted Stroll’s passion for bicycling has also engaged him in the public policy arena. He is the president of the Sustainable Trails Coalition, “a nonprofit organization that seeks fairer rules governing human-powered bicycling on federal lands.” This work has given him experience in writing legislation, developing a coalition, and testifying before Congress.
Stroll summarizes what his objectives in the Assembly would be: “My key goals are to alleviate the causes and symptoms of homelessness, fix the problem of unaffordable housing, address rising crime, and promote energy and resource stability for generations to come.”
Stroll is running in Assembly District 25, which contains downtown and east San Jose, as well as the rural eastern half of Santa Clara County.
Ted Stroll grew up in La Jolla, part of San Diego. His family spent a sabbatical year in Italy when he was in sixth grade. He earned a BA in Economics from Williams College, in western Massachusetts. A few years later he earned a masters degree in Journalism from Columbia University and a law degree from UC Berkeley. After working a couple of years in Portland for Stoel Rives, a major business law firm, he wanted a change of scene and went to work at the California Supreme Court. He retired from court work in 2015.
Ted used to participate in bicycle racing and can frequently be found biking through the South Bay hills. He also loves studying languages and says that “it helps me build a bigger perspective on life and our needs as a multicultural community”. He is proficient in Portuguese, Spanish, and French and knowledgeable in other languages. He and his three rescue cats live in downtown San Jose near the university. You can learn more about Ted on his campaign website, tedstroll.com, where a video interview is posted.