Governor Newsom Announces Judicial Appointments 2.17.23

Published:

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his nomination of three Court of Appeal Justices: Judge Danny Chou as an Associate Justice of the First District Court of Appeal, Division Five; Judge Rashida Adams as an Associate Justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Three; and Judge Jose S. Castillo as an Associate Justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One.

The Governor also announced his appointment of eight Superior Court Judges, which include one in Alameda County; one in Los Angeles County; two in Orange County; one in Riverside County; one in San Bernardino County; one in San Diego County; and one in San Joaquin County.

First District Court of Appeal
Judge Danny Chou, 54, of San Mateo County, has been nominated to serve as an Associate Justice of the First District Court of Appeal, Division Five. He has served as a Judge at the San Mateo County Superior Court since 2018. Judge Chou served as an Assistant County Counsel at the Santa Clara County Counsel’s Office from 2012 to 2018. He served as Chief of Complex and Special Litigation at the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office from 2008 to 2012, where he was Chief of Appellate Litigation from 2006 to 2008. Judge Chou served as a Supervising Staff Attorney at the California Supreme Court from 2005 to 2006, where he was a Judicial Staff Attorney from 1999 to 2005. He was a Staff Attorney at the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit from 1998 to 1999, an Associate at Howard, Rice, Nemerovski, Canady, Falk and Rabkin from 1995 to 1998 and a Law Clerk for the Honorable Stanley A. Weigel at the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California from 1994 to 1995. Judge Chou earned a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Henry E. Needham. This position requires confirmation by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, which consists of Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, Attorney General Rob Bonta and Senior Presiding Justice Jim Humes. He is a Democrat.

Second District Court of Appeal

Judge Rashida Adams, 45, of Los Angeles County, has been nominated to serve as an Associate Justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Three. She has served as a Judge at the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2017. Judge Adams served as a Senior Appellate Court Attorney at the Second District Court of Appeal from 2009 to 2017, where she was an Appellate Court Attorney from 2008 to 2009. She was an Associate at Caldwell Leslie and Proctor PC from 2005 to 2007 and at Bernabei and Katz PLLC from 2002 to 2005. Judge Adams earned a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Halim Dhanidina. This 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. She is a Democrat.

Fourth District Court of Appeal

Judge Jose S. Castillo, 44, of San Diego County, has been nominated to serve as an Associate Justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One. He has served as a Judge at the San Diego County Superior Court since 2020. Judge Castillo served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California from 2010 to 2020. He served as a Staff Attorney at the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit from 2007 to 2010 and was an Adjunct Professor at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law from 2009 to 2010. Castillo served as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Micaela Alvarez at the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas from 2006 to 2007. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law. Judge Castillo fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Judith L. Haller. This position requires confirmation by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, which consists of Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, Attorney General Rob Bonta and Senior Presiding Justice Manuel Ramirez. He is a Democrat.

The compensation for each of these positions is $264,542.

Alameda County Superior Court

Maria Morga, 50, of Alameda County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Alameda County Superior Court. Morga has served as Supervising Deputy State Public Defender at the Office of the State Public Defender since 2020 and has served in several roles there since 2004, including Senior Deputy State Public Defender and Deputy State Public Defender. She was an Associate at the Whatley Law Firm in 2004 and served as a Deputy Public Defender at the San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office from 2001 to 2003. Morga was General Counsel at ePredix Inc. in 2000 and an Associate at Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal in 1999. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. Morga fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Trina L. Thompson. She is a Democrat.

Los Angeles County Superior Court

Gary Eto, 64, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Eto has been a Sole Practitioner since 2003. He was a Partner at Eto & Hall from 1993 to 2003 and a Sole Practitioner from 1992 to 1993. Eto was Of Counsel at Daza & Eto from 1991 to 1994 and an Attorney and Partner at Block & Eto from 1991 to 1992. He was an Associate at Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp from 1989 to 1990 and an Attorney at Southern Pacific Transportation Company from 1988 to 1989. Eto was an Associate at Wilson, Kenna & Borys from 1986 to 1988 and a Reginald Heber Smith Fellow at the Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach from 1984 to 1986. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Fred J. Fujioka. Eto is a Democrat.

Orange County Superior Court

Joseph Kang, 53, of Orange County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Orange County Superior Court. Kang has served as a Deputy Public Defender at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office since 1999. He was a Sole Practitioner from 1998 to 1999. Kang earned a Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern Law School. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Kirk H. Nakamura. Kang is a Democrat.
Paul Minerich, 71, of Orange County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Orange County Superior Court. Minerich has served as a Commissioner at the Orange County Superior Court since 2016. He was a Sole Practitioner from 1979 to 2016 and an Attorney at George O. Fekete, Attorney at Law from 1978 to 1979. Minerich earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Pepperdine University School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Maurice Sanchez to the Court of Appeal. Minerich is registered without party preference.

Riverside County Superior Court

Francisco Navarro, 44, of Riverside County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Riverside County Superior Court. Navarro has served as a Deputy District Attorney at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office since 2006. He was a Hotline Operator for Community Legal Aid SoCal in 2006. Navarro earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Western State University College of Law. He fills the vacancy of a new position created on July 1, 2022. He is a Democrat.

San Bernardino County Superior Court

Charlie Hill Jr., 52, of San Bernardino County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Bernardino County Superior Court. Hill has served as an Associate General Counsel and Assistant General Counsel at the Los Angeles Unified School District since 2009. He was an Associate at Ivie, McNeill, Wyatt, Purcell & Diggs from 2003 to 2009. Hill held several positions at Pryce Parker Hill LLP from 1998 to 2003, including Associate and Limited Partner. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Whittier College of Law. Hill fills the vacancy of a new position created on July 1, 2022. He is a Democrat.

San Diego County Superior Court

John Pro, 47, of San Diego County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Diego County Superior Court. Pro has been Team Leader in the Major Narcotics Division at the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office since 2018, where he has served as a Deputy District Attorney since 2005. He was a Staff Attorney at the Center for Community Solutions in 2004. Pro earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arizona College of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Frederick L. Link. Pro is a Democrat.

San Joaquin County Superior Court

Esmeralda Zendejas, 41, of San Joaquin County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Joaquin County Superior Court. Zendejas has served as an Attorney at the Department of Industrial Relations since 2022. She served as a Deputy Attorney General at the California Attorney General’s Office from 2020 to 2022. She was Agricultural Worker Program Director at California Rural Legal Assistance Inc. in 2020 and held several positions there from 2006 to 2020, including Staff Attorney and Agricultural Worker Program Regional Director. Zendejas earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law. She fills the vacancy of a new position created on July 1, 2022. Zendejas is a Democrat.

The compensation for each of these positions is $231,174.

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