LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced the appointment of 16 Superior Court judges, including five in Los Angeles County and one in Orange County.
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Appointed to the Los Angeles County Superior Court were:
-- Democrat Marisa Hernández-Stern of Los Angeles County. Hernández- Stern has served as a supervising deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice, Worker Rights and Fair Labor Section since 2020 and was a deputy attorney general there from 2017-20. She was a staff attorney for Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County from 2016-17, an associate at Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai from 2015-16 and at Traber & Voorhees from 2012- 15. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the UCLA School of Law. She will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Katherine Chilton.
-- Cristina Legaspi of Los Angeles County (registered without party preference). Legaspi has been senior deputy county counsel in the Los Angeles County Counsel's Office since 1999 and an adjunct professor at USC's Gould School of Law since 2022. She was an associate at Weissman and Associates from 1998-99 and at Ivie, McNeil and Wyatt in 1998. Legaspi earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law, and will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Monica Bachner.
-- Democrat Paris Lewis of Los Angeles County. Lewis has served as a deputy public defender at the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office since 2000, having served in several positions there including deputy-in-charge, trainer, and recruitment coordinator. Lewis earned a Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern Law School and a master of public administration degree from Cal State Dominguez Hills. She will fill the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Hernan Vera to the federal bench.
-- Democrat Lowrie Mendoza of Los Angeles County. Mendoza has been assistant head deputy district attorney at the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office since 2023 and has served in several roles there since 2005. She was a law clerk at the offices of Enrico Mendoza from 2004-05 and at Yuhl, Rhames, Yuhl & Atkinson in 2003. Mendoza earned a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School Los Angeles, and will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Terry Green.
-- Democrat Michael Weinstein of Los Angeles County. Weinstein has served as chief of the Noncapital Habeas Unit at the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California since 2022 and has served in several roles there since 2010. He served as a law clerk for J. Spencer Letts at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California from 2009-10 and for Philip Gutierrez there from 2008-09. Weinstein earned a Juris Doctor degree from UCLA School of Law. He will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Mary Strobel.
Appointed to the Orange County Superior Court was:
-- Democrat Bryan Clavecilla of Orange County. Clavecilla has served as a commissioner at the Orange County Superior Court since January 2024. He served as a senior deputy district attorney and assistant head of court at the Orange County District Attorney's Office Central Justice Center from 2022-24. He has been a life/health insurance agent independent contractor at the World Financial Group since 2019. Clavecilla served in several positions at the Orange County District Attorney's Office from 2007-23, including senior deputy district attorney and deputy district attorney. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Chapman Law School. Clavecilla will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Linda Marks.
The annual compensation for each of these positions is $238,479.
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