SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the appointment of 18 judicial officials to California Superior Courts, with three in Alameda County, one in Butte County, one in Kings County, five in Los Angeles County, one in San Bernardino County, one in San Diego County, one in San Luis Obispo County, one in San Mateo County, three in Santa Clara County, and one in Stanislaus County.
Newsom also appointed Matthew Scherb, of Los Angeles County, to serve as an associate justice in the Second District Court of Appeal, Division 8. Scherb has been a chambers attorney at the California Supreme Court, served as a deputy city attorney in the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, was an appellate court attorney from 2011 to 2017, was an associate at Winston & Strawn LLP, served as a law clerk at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and received a juris doctor degree from Northwestern University.
Scherb is registered as no party preference, and his position requires confirmation by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, which consists of Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and Senior Presiding Justice Arthur Gilbert.
Corey Lee has been appointed to serve as an associate justice in the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Two. Lee has served in the San Bernardino County Superior Court as a judge, deputy chief assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, deputy district attorney in the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, deputy district attorney in the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, law clerk in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Executive Office of Immigration Review, and received a juris doctor degree from Loyola Law School.
Lee is a Democrat, and his appointment requires confirmation by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, which consists of Guerrero, Bonta, and Senior Presiding Justice Manuel Ramirez.
In the Fifth District Court of Appeal, Arlan L. Harrell, of Fresno County, has been appointed to serve as an associate justice. Harrell has served as a judge in the Fresno County Superior Court, court commissioner for the Fresno County Superior Court, deputy district attorney for the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, associate at Lang, Richert & Patch, and received a juris doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law.
Harrell is a Democrat, and his appointment requires confirmation by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, which consists of Guerrero, Bonta, and Senior Presiding Justice Brad Hill.
The compensation for Scherb, Lee and Harrell’s positions is $280,052.
Diane Meier, Julie Wilensky and Cara Sandberg have been appointed to serve as judges in the Alameda County Superior Court. All are Democrats.
In Butte County Superior Court, Ruby Neumann of Glenn County, registered as no party preference, has been appointed to serve as a judge. Neumann has served as a court commissioner in the Tehama, Glenn, Colusa and Plumas County Superior Courts, assistant district attorney in the Glenn County District Attorney’s Office, associate at the Law Offices of Christian Schank & Associates, and received a juris doctor degree from Lincoln Law School.
In Kings County Superior Court, Jim Trevino of Fresno County, a Democrat, has been appointed to serve as a judge. Trevino has been the owner of the Law Office of Jim A. Trevino, an associate at Grossman Law Offices, an associate at Parker, Kern, Nard & Wenzel, an associate at the Law Office of Peter Singh, and received a juris doctor degree from San Joaquin College of Law.
Veronica Ramos, Renee Williams, Melinda Porter, Amanda Park and Osman Abbasi, all Democrats, have been appointed to serve as judges in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
In San Bernardino County Superior Court, Maggie Yang of Los Angeles County, a Democrat, has been appointed to serve as a judge. She has experience as a deputy district attorney in the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office and received a juris doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law.
Todd Stevens of San Diego County, a Democrat, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the San Diego County Superior Court. Stevens has worked at Keeney Waite & Stevens, first as an associate and then as managing partner, worked as a law clerk at Higgs Fletcher & Mack, and received a juris doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law.
Kenneth McDaniel, also a Democrat, has been appointed as a judge for the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court. McDaniel has served as a commissioner at the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, was a sole practitioner at the Law Office of Kenneth R. McDaniel, worked as an associate at the Law Office of Stephen D. Hamilton, served as an attorney at the San Luis Obispo County Juvenile Dependency Panel, worked as an associate at the Law Offices of William D. Ausman, and received a juris doctor degree from the Santa Barbara College of Law.
Michael Mau has been appointed as a judge for the San Mateo County Superior Court and is registered with no party preference. Mau has worked as a commissioner at the San Mateo County Superior Court, managing attorney and owner at the Law Offices of Michael L. Mau, senior attorney at McLemore, Collins & Toschi, associate at Simpson, Aherne & Garrity, independent contract attorney at the Law Office of J. Hector Moreno Sr., and received a juris doctor degree from Santa Clara University School of Law.
In Santa Clara County Superior Court, Kemi Mustapha, Sarah Cook and Mark Flanagan, all Democrats, have been appointed to serve as judges, filling vacancies created by the retirement of former judges.
In Stanislaus County Superior Court, Sarah Birmingham, a Democrat, has been appointed to serve as a judge. Birmingham has been the owner of Sarah Birmingham Law, worked as a solo practitioner, attorney at Gianelli & Associates, associate at Curtis Legal Group, staff attorney at California Rural Legal Assistance, and received a juris doctor degree from Santa Clara University School of Law.
The compensation for each of these Superior Court judicial positions is $244,727.
