Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the appointment of six California superior court judges, which include: One in Alameda County; two in Los Angeles County; two in Riverside County; and one in Sacramento County.
Alameda County Superior Court
Patrick R. McKinney II, 45, of Oakland, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Alameda County Superior Court. McKinney has served as assistant secretary for legal affairs and chief counsel at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation since 2015. He served in several positions at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General from 2011 to 2015, including as supervising deputy attorney general and deputy attorney general. McKinney was special counsel for litigation at Farella, Braun and Martel LLP from 2009 to 2011, where he was an associate from 2001 to 2009. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jeffrey W. Horner. McKinney is a Democrat.
Los Angeles County Superior Court
James E. Blancarte, 65, of Burbank, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Blancarte has served as a commissioner at the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2016. He was of counsel at Alvarado Smith APC from 2014 to 2016, where he was a partner from 2009 to 2014. Blancarte was a partner at Carlsmith Ball LLP from 2004 to 2008 and managing partner of the Law Offices of James E. Blancarte from 1993 to 2004. He was a partner at Jeffer, Mangels, Butler and Marmaro from 1991 to 1993 and a partner at Mitchell, Silberberg and Knupp from 1984 to 1991, where he was an associate from 1979 to 1984. Blancarte earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pomona College. He fills the vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position on October 25, 2018. Blancarte is a Democrat.
Timothy R. Martella, 70, of Pasadena, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Martella has served as a commissioner at the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2015. He was a Board of Rights hearing examiner at the Los Angeles Police Department Police Commission from 2007 to 2015 and director at Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers, Law Office of Timothy Martella from 2006 to 2015. Martella was a sole practitioner from 1981 to 2006. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position on November 13, 2018. Martella is registered without party preference.
Riverside County Superior Court
Cheryl C. Murphy, 56, of Rancho Cucamonga, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Riverside County Superior Court. Murphy has been a sole practitioner since 1999. She was an associate at the Rancho Law Center from 1997 to 1999 and at the Law Offices of Tuckerman and Thompson from 1990 to 1996. Murphy earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Western State University College of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from San Diego State University. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jeffrey Prevost. Murphy is a Democrat.
Samah Shouka, 46, of Orange, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Riverside County Superior Court. Shouka has served as senior deputy district attorney at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office since 2013, where she has been a deputy district attorney since 2003. She served as a law clerk in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office from 2002 to 2003. Shouka earned a Juris Doctor degree from Whittier Law School and a Bachelor of Education degree from the College of New Jersey. She fills the vacancy created by the death of Judge Victoria E. Cameron. Shouka is registered without party preference.
Sacramento County Superior Court
Kristina B. Lindquist, 37, of Sacramento, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Sacramento County Superior Court. Lindquist has served as a deputy legal affairs secretary in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. since 2011. She served as staff counsel at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2008 to 2011 and as tax counsel at the State Board of Equalization in 2009. Lindquist 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 Notre Dame. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Timothy M. Frawley. Lindquist plans to continue serving in her current position in the Governor’s Office until the end of the Administration. She is a Democrat.
The compensation for each of these positions is $207,424.
