BRIEFLY IN RELIGION

Judiciary is topic at Universalist service

“The Importance of the Independent Judiciary” will be the topic discussed at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach at the 10:30 a.m. service July 20. The speaker will be Sen. Joe Dunn, who served Orange County’s 34th District for eight years.

Recent years have seen the onset of a new era of multimillion-dollar campaigns for important state judgeships. These are largely underwritten by interest groups, including insurance companies, tobacco firms, the building and health-care industries, unions and trial lawyers, that have seized upon judicial contests as a promising avenue for influence-peddling.

Dunn will discuss ways citizens can be alert to, and protect themselves from, abuses of the system.

The Fellowship is located at 329 Cypress Drive.