SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointment of Tara M. Desautels to a judgeship in the Alameda County Superior Court. Desautels, 38, of San Francisco, has served Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman as a senior associate since 2005. Previously, she served the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office as a deputy district attorney from 1997 to 2005. Desautels earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University. She fills the vacancy created by the death of Judge Barbara J. Miller. Desautels is a Democrat. The compensation for this position is $178,789.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointment of Michael P. Candela to a judgeship in the Butte County Superior Court. Candela, 50, of Chico, has been a deputy district attorney for the Butte County District Attorney’s Office since 1997. Previously, he volunteered as a research attorney for the San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office in 1996 until he was appointed and served as a deputy public defender in 1997. Candela was an associate for Drath, Clifford, Murphy, Wennerholm and Hagen in 1995 and for Gagen, McCoy, McMahon and Armstrong from 1991 to 1995. He was a sole practitioner from 1990 to 1991 and a deputy district attorney for the Marin County District Attorney’s Office from 1988 to 1990. Prior to that, Candela served the Butte County District Attorney’s Office as a deputy district attorney in 1988 and the San Francisco County Superior Court as a research attorney from 1987 to 1988. He earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Chico. Candela fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Thomas W. Kelly. Candela is registered decline-to-state. The compensation for this position is $178,789.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointment of John W. Lua to a judgeship in the Kern County Superior Court. Lua, 38, of Bakersfield, has been a deputy district attorney for the Kern County District Attorney’s Office since 1999. He earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Whittier Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Lua fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Gary A. Ingle. Lua is a Republican. The compensation for this position is $178,789.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointment of Robert S. Burns to a judgeship in the Kings County Superior Court. Burns, 47, of Hanford, has served the Kings County District Attorney’s Office as chief trial attorney since 2006. Previously, he served the Kings County District Attorney’s Office as a deputy district attorney from 1994 to 2006. Burns served the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office as a deputy district attorney from 1990 to 1994. He earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Santa Clara University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Jose State University. Burns fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Peter M. Schultz. Burns is a Democrat. The compensation for this position is $178,789.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointments of Christine W. Byrd, Scott M. Gordon and Laura R. Walton to judgeships in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Byrd, 58, of Studio City, has been a partner for Irell and Manella since 1996. Previously, she served Jones, Day, Reavis and Pogue as a partner from 1987 to 1996 and as an associate from 1976 to 1982. Byrd served the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Criminal Division as an assistant U.S. attorney from 1982 to 1987 and the Honorable William P. Gray, U.S. District Court as a law clerk from 1975 to 1976. She earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University. Byrd fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge John P. Farrell. Byrd is a Republican.
Gordon, 53, of Los Angeles, has served as a court commissioner for the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2002 and as an adjunct professor at Southwestern Law School since 1990. Previously, he was an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School from 1998 to 1999 and was a deputy district attorney for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office from 1985 to 2002. Gordon earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Southwestern University and a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills. He fills the vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position on July 1, 2009. Gordon is a Republican.
Walton, 39, of Cerritos, has served the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office as a deputy district attorney since 1996. She earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Walton fills the vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position on July 21, 2009. Walton is a Democrat.
The compensation for each position is $178,789.
Gov. Schwarzenegger Appoints Two to Monterey County Superior Court
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointments of Julie R. Culver and Susan J. Matcham to judgeships in the Monterey County Superior Court.
Culver, 50, of Carmel, has been general counsel for Shop.com since 2006. Previously, she was a sole practitioner from 2000 to 2006. Culver was a deputy district attorney for the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office from 1985 to 1999. She earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Santa Clara University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from Santa Clara University. Culver fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Robert O’Farrell. Culver is a Republican.
Matcham, 60, of Salinas, has been an assistant city attorney for Salinas since 2007. Previously, she was a partner at Caballero, Matcham and McCarthy from 1982 to 2007 and a staff attorney for California Rural Legal Assistance from 1979 to 1982. Prior to that, Matcham served as a staff attorney for the Agricultural Labor Relations Board from 1978 to 1979. She earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio State University. Matcham fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Richard M. Curtis. Matcham is a Democrat.
The compensation for each position is $178,789.
Gov. Schwarzenegger Appoints Three to San Bernardino County Superior Court
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointments of Lorenzo R. Balderrama, Barbara A. Buchholz and Robert G. Yabuno to judgeships in the San Bernardino County Superior Court.
Balderrama, 57, of Redlands, has served as a deputy district attorney for the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office since 1982. He earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Western State University College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University. Balderrama fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge John P. Wade. Balderrama is a Democrat.
Buchholz, 53, of Norco, has been an attorney at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith since January 2010. Previously, she was an attorney with the law firm of Raul B. Garcia from April 2009 to January 2010. Prior to that, Buchholz was an associate at Reid and Hellyer from 2007 to February 2009. She was an attorney for Bradford and Barthel from 2005 to 2007 and from 1999 to 2000. Buchholz served as an attorney for Bell, Orrock and Watase from 1991 to 1998 and from 2000 until 2005. She earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Southwestern University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Fullerton. Buchholz fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge J. Michael Gunn. Buchholz is a Republican.
Yabuno, 52, of Highland, has been lead deputy district attorney for the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office since 1991. Previously, he was an attorney at Wilson, Borror, Dunn and Scott from 1988 to 1991 and a deputy district attorney for the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office from 1984 to 1988. Yabuno earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Santa Clara University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Fresno. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge James C. McGuire. Yabuno is a Democrat.
The compensation for each position is $178,789.
