Sacramento, CA – In a move that further shifts California’s judicial landscape, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the appointment of 10 new Superior Court judges this week — with women, people of color, and attorneys from public defense and civil rights backgrounds prominently represented.
Among the appointments is Kimberly Dotson, a longtime Los Angeles County public defender elevated after six years as a court commissioner. Dotson’s appointment reflects growing momentum to diversify the bench with jurists who bring direct experience defending low-income and marginalized clients.
In Alameda County, Doris Ng joins the bench after a career spanning civil rights, women’s employment protections, and advocacy for Asian Pacific Islander communities. Faye Chen Barnouw, now a Los Angeles Superior Court judge, brings decades of federal consumer protection experience, adding depth to the court’s expertise.
Chamandeep Johal, a family law attorney and court commissioner, becomes the first South Asian woman appointed to Merced County’s bench, while Dina Amani, an Iranian American commissioner, joins San Bernardino Superior Court. Both appointments add representation to regions where immigrant communities have long been underrepresented in the judiciary.
Jennifer McCartney, now on the Orange County Superior Court, comes with extensive experience advocating for children and families through her work at the Children’s Law Center of California.
The appointments, spanning seven counties, reflect Newsom’s continued commitment to a judiciary that mirrors California’s diversity and professional breadth. Increasingly, his judicial picks bring public service, civil rights, and community advocacy backgrounds to a system historically dominated by former prosecutors and corporate attorneys.
The new judges will serve in Alameda, Los Angeles, Merced, Orange, San Bernardino, and San Francisco counties. Their appointments take effect immediately.
