Friday, August 10, 2001
Page 3
Davis Names Special Assistant Attorney General to Sacramento Court
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Special Assistant Attorney General David De Alba was appointed yesterday to the Sacramento Superior Court by Gov. Gray Davis.
He will fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Judge John Stround.
A 22-year veteran of the California Attorney General’s office, De Alba said he is excited about continuing his role as public servant on a new level in just a few weeks, but will miss working in the Attorney General’s office.
“It is an exhilarating feeling to know that the governor has placed that much trust in you to put you in a judicial role,” De Alba said. “But after 22 years, I feel like I’m leaving my family. That’s the sad part.”
De Alba, 47, has spent the past two and a half years assisting the attorney general in policy matters, including firearms legislation, drug and alcohol programs, and safe school measures, a role which he said is very similar to the role he will play on the bench.
“As a judge, I’m still a public servant,” De Alba said. “I just have a higher level of trust invested in me.”
Attorney General Bill Lockyer said in a statement De Alba “provided invaluable assistance” to the Department of Justice in formulating policy and he will be missed by the department.
“The Sacramento Superior Court is fortunate to be receiving the services of David De Alba,” Lockyer said. “Dave is an exceptionally caring and intelligent person, an outstanding attorney and he will be a great judge.”
During the his time with the Attorney General’s office De Alba worked in both the Criminal and Civil Divisions, spending his first nine years in criminal as a prosecutor in both the trial and appellate courts.
In 1984-85, De Alba spent six months trying criminal cases for the Sacramento County District Attorney’s office.
In 1988, De Alba moved to the Civil Division where he spent 11 years handling tort and condemnation cases before being elevated by Lockyer to special assistant attorney general.
De Alba has served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Northern California School of Law and the McGeorge School of Law and as an arbitrator for the State Bar of California in attorney/client fee disputes.
He is a former president of the La Raza Lawyers Association of Sacramento and a former member of the Bar Council and Judiciary Committee of the Sacramento County Bar Association.
De Alba received his law degree from the UCLA School of Law.
He will receive a salary of $133,051.
Copyright 2001, Metropolitan News Company