Tim Hollenhorst, a native Californian, is a prosecutor in the Riverside County District
Photo courtesy Tim Hollenhorst
Attorney’s Office. He has been a deputy district attorney since 2004, and tried more than 50 cases.
For the past five years, he has been the prosecutor for the Gang Impact Task Force, and working on murder, guns and drugs cases originating in Moreno Valley.
A judicial candidate’s “platform” describes how they intend to conduct themselves during trial, and not their opinion of current events or issues.
“It’s the idea of fairness to both sides,” Hollenhorst emphasized. “I will be impartial.”
He points to the endorsements he has already. His boss, District Attorney Michael Hestrin and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Association are one side of the room, but Steve Harmon, head of the county’s Public Defender’s Office, has also endorsed him. In addition, sitting Superior Court judges from Riverside County and elsewhere in Southern California, and several Court of Appeals judges also have endorsed him.
“I have no agenda or preconceived ideas,” Hollenhorst stressed. “I get along with opposing sides.”
This ability to understand that each case has two sides is not simply a skill Hollenhorst learned in law school. His father was a judge and the legal profession has always been his dream.
“At 5 years old, I was coming to court with my father. I learned to read from looking at probation reports,” he said proudly.
And he is most proud that even after a prosecution ends, the defense attorney will shake his hand.
“This is my dream put into action,” Hollenhorst said.
He admits that running a campaign for a judicial seat is not what he ever planned. Raising money and visiting groups is more common for political positions, which were never on his horizon.
Further, he emphasized that being a husband and father come before other labels in his life.
His goal as a judge is to ensure “… truth and justice come out. And then I’ve treated both sides fairly.”
