Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G.Brown Jr. today announced the appointment of 6 California superior court judges, which include: One in Alameda County; three in Los Angeles County; one in Orange County; and one in San Bernardino County.
Alameda County Superior Court
Jason B. Chin, 42, of Alameda, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Alameda County Superior Court. Chin has served as a deputy district attorney at the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office since 2004. He served as a deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General in 2011. Chin earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Pepperdine University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, San Diego. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Vernon K. Nakahara. Chin is registered without party preference.
Los Angeles County Superior Court
Scott R. Herin, 51, of Long Beach, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Herin has served as a deputy public defender at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office since 1999. He was an attorney at Dependency Court Legal Services from 1998 to 1999 and at the Legal Aid and Defender Association of Detroit from 1995 to 1997. Herin earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Detroit College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University. He fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Michael J. Raphael to the Court of Appeal. Herin is a Democrat.
Michael C. Kelley, 64, of Pasadena, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Kelley has been a partner at Sidley Austin LLP since 1987. He was a partner at Kadison, Pfaelzer, Woodard, Quinn and Rossi in 1987, where he was an associate from 1979 to 1986. Kelley earned a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Southern California. He fills the vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position on August 28, 2018. Kelley is a Democrat.
Theresa R. McGonigle, 55, of Santa Monica, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. McGonigle has been managing research attorney at the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2014, where she has served in several positions since 1989, including supervising research attorney, research attorney and law clerk. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Notre Dame Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Santa Clara University. McGonigle fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Dorothy C. Kim to the Court of Appeal. She is registered without party preference.
Orange County Superior Court
Maurice Sanchez, 62, of Coto de Caza, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Orange County Superior Court. Sanchez has been a partner at Nelson, Mullins, Riley and Scarborough since 2017. He was a partner at Baker and Hostetler from 2005 to 2017, a shareholder at Alvarado, Smith and Sanchez from 1993 to 2005 and managing counsel at Mazda Motor of America Inc. from 1991 to 1993. Sanchez was senior counsel at Hyundai Motor America from 1986 to 1991 and an associate at Rutan and Tucker from 1981 to 1986. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Irvine. He fills the vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position on August 28, 2018. Sanchez is registered without party preference.
San Bernardino County Superior Court
Christopher S. Pallone, 40, of Victorville, has been appointed to a judgeship in the San Bernardino County Superior Court. Pallone has served as a deputy public defender at the San Bernardino County Public Defender’s Office since 2016. He served as a deputy public defender at the Yuba County Public Defender’s Office from 2012 to 2016 and from 2004 to 2008. Pallone served as a deputy district attorney at the Siskiyou County District Attorney’s Office from 2008 to 2012 and as a legal research assistant at the Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office from 2003 to 2004. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Irvine. He fills the vacancy created by the death of Judge Victor Stull. Pallone is a Democrat.
The compensation for each of these positions is $200,042.
