Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the appointment of 12 California superior court judges, which include: Two in Los Angeles County; one in Orange County; one in Placer County; two in Riverside County; one in San Bernardino County; one in San Diego County; one in San Francisco County; one in San Mateo County; one in Stanislaus County; and one in Ventura County.
Los Angeles County Superior Court
Miguel T. Espinoza, 39, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Espinoza has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California since 2017. He served as a deputy district attorney at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office from 2008 to 2017 and held several positions for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign from 2007 to 2008, including statewide political director and deputy field director. Espinoza was a transition aide in the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office from 2005 to 2006. He was a senior advisor for Antonio Villaraigosa’s mayoral campaign from 2004 to 2005 and deputy policy director for Villaraigosa’s city council campaign from 2002 to 2003. Espinoza earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California School of Law, a Master of Public Administration degree from the Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Carl H. Moor to the Court of Appeal. Espinoza is a Democrat.
Alison M. Mackenzie, 42, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Mackenzie has been a partner at Boies, Schiller, Flexner LLP since 2017. She was a shareholder at Caldwell, Leslie and Proctor PC in 2017, where she was counsel from 2014 to 2016 and an associate from 2007 to 2013. Mackenzie served as a law clerk for the Honorable Dean D. Pregerson at the U.S. District Court, Central District of California from 2005 to 2006. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University. She fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Helen I. Bendix to the Court of Appeal. Mackenzie is a Democrat.
Orange County Superior Court
Sheila O. Recio, 46, of Long Beach, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Orange County Superior Court. Recio has served as a commissioner at the Orange County Superior Court since 2016. She served in several positions at the Orange County Superior Court from 2005 to 2016, including deputy general counsel, senior research attorney and counsel to the presiding judge. She was an associate at Morrison and Foerster from 2000 to 2005 and a research attorney at the Los Angeles County Superior Court from 1998 to 2000. Recio earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Thierry P. Colaw. Recio is a Democrat.
Placer County Superior Court
Todd D. Irby, 60, of Rocklin, has been named to an interim appointment for a judgeship in the Placer County Superior Court. Irby has served as a commissioner at the Placer County Superior Court since 2017. He served as deputy secretary and chief counsel at the California Department of Veterans Affairs from 2012 to 2017 and as a deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General from 2007 to 2012. Irby was a sole practitioner from 2006 to 2007 and of counsel at the Duffy Law Firm from 2004 to 2006. He was a partner at Hess-Verdon and Irby from 2000 to 2004 and an associate at Hess-Verdon and Associates from 1995 to 2000. Irby was an associate at Martin, Wilson, Fingal and MacDowell from 1994 to 1995 and at Garrett, Jensen and Sanders from 1991 to 1994. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Pepperdine University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio State University. Irby was elected in June, 2018 to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Frances A. Kearney. The Governor’s appointment allows him to immediately assume the position he was otherwise elected to begin in January, 2019. Irby is a Democrat.
Riverside County Superior Court
Jennifer R. Gerard, 42, of Yorba Linda, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Riverside County Superior Court. Gerard has served as a commissioner at the Riverside County Superior Court since 2017. She served as an attorney at the Riverside County Minors’ Counsel Panel and Adoption Panel from 2012 to 2017 and was a sole practitioner practicing family law and criminal defense from 2006 to 2017. Gerard was an attorney at the Los Angeles Criminal Appellate Project from 2010 to 2017 and a contract attorney at VMB Attorneys from 2013 to 2016. She was an attorney at the Juvenile Defense Panel from 2006 to 2013 and served as a deputy district attorney at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office from 2003 to 2006. Gerard earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Western State University College of Law and Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Chapman University. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Gloria C. Trask. Gerard is a Democrat.
Timothy J. Hollenhorst, 41, of Riverside, has been named to an interim appointment for a judgeship in the Riverside County Superior Court. Hollenhorst has served as a deputy district attorney at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office since 2004. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Kansas School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Hollenhorst was elected in June, 2018 to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge James A. Cox. The Governor’s appointment allows him to immediately assume the position he was otherwise elected to begin in January, 2019. Hollenhorst is registered without party preference.
San Bernardino County Superior Court
David E. Driscoll, 63, of Riverside, has been appointed to a judgeship in the San Bernardino County Superior Court. Driscoll has been an associate at Berman, Berman, Berman, Schneider and Lowary since 2017. He was a sole practitioner from 2004 to 2017. Driscoll was a partner and attorney at Driscoll and Reynolds from 1998 to 2004 and at Foster and Driscoll from 1991 to 1998. He was an associate at MacLachlan, Burford and Arias from 1986 to 1991 and at Pickell and Knudson from 1981 to 1986. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Western State University College of Law and an Associate of Applied Science degree from Barstow Community College. He fills the vacancy of a new position created on September 18, 2017. Driscoll is a Democrat.
San Diego County Superior Court
Loren G. Freestone, 47, of San Diego, has been appointed to a judgeship in the San Diego County Superior Court. Freestone has been a partner at Higgs, Fletcher and Mack LLP since 2014, where he was an associate from 2008 to 2014 and from 1999 to 2004. He was an associate at Hurst and Hurst from 2004 to 2008 and at McInnis, Fitzgerald, Rees and Sharkey from 1998 to 1999. Freestone earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge David J. Danielsen. Freestone is a Democrat.
San Francisco County Superior Court
Christine Van Aken, 44, of San Francisco, has been appointed to a judgeship in the San Francisco County Superior Court. Van Aken has been chief of appellate litigation at the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office since 2012, where she has served as a deputy city attorney since 2006. She served as a law clerk for the Honorable David H. Souter at the U.S. Supreme Court from 2004 to 2005 and was an associate at Arnold and Porter LLP from 2003 to 2004. Van Aken served as a law clerk for the Honorable Pierre N. Leval at the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit from 2002 to 2003. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the New York University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Nancy Davis. Van Aken is a Democrat.
San Mateo County Superior Court
Susan M. Jakubowski, 50, of Santa Clara, has been appointed to a judgeship in the San Mateo County Superior Court. Jakubowski has served as a commissioner at the San Mateo County Superior Court since 2006. She was a research attorney at the San Mateo County Superior Court from 2000 to 2006 and served as a deputy public defender at the Santa Cruz County Public Defender’s Office from 1996 to 2000. Jakubowski earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from Babson College. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Steven L. Dylina. Jakubowski is registered without party preference.
Stanislaus County Superior Court
Carrie M. Stephens, 54, of Newman, has been named to an interim appointment for a judgeship in the Stanislaus County Superior Court. Stephens has served as a deputy county counsel at the Stanislaus County Counsel's Office since 1999. She has been a member of the U. S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps since 1991, serving as an appellate judge at the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals since 2017 and as a military trial judge at the Navy and Marine Corps Trial Judiciary from 2010 to 2015. Stephens served as a deputy public defender at the Stanislaus County Public Defender’s Office from 1996 to 1999. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of the Pacific. Stephens was elected in June, 2018 to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Loretta M. Begen. Effective August 3, 2018, the Governor’s appointment will allow her to immediately assume the position she was otherwise elected to begin in January, 2019. Stephens is a Republican.
Ventura County Superior Court
Ronda J. McKaig, 45, of Santa Paula, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Ventura County Superior Court. McKaig has served as an assistant county counsel and senior civil attorney at the Office of the Ventura County Counsel since 2014. She was counsel at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP from 2010 to 2014, where she was an associate from 2004 to 2010. McKaig was an associate at Clifford Chance LLP from 2002 to 2004 and at Brobeck LLP from 2001 to 2002. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Arts degree from California Lutheran University. Effective July 31, 2018, she will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Frederick H. Bysshe. McKaig is registered without party preference.
The compensation for each of these positions is $200,042.
