Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Page 3
Superior Court Judges McCoy, Edmon to Be Feted as ‘Persons of the Year’
By a MetNews Staff Writer
The judges who this year were elected as leaders of the Los Angeles Superior Court for 2009 and 2010—Charles McCoy, who will serve as presiding judge and Lee Edmon who will be assistant presiding judge—will be recipients of the Metropolitan News-Enterprise’s “Persons of the Year” award.
Profiles of them will appear in a special section of the MetNews and they will honored at the 21st annual “Person of the Year” dinner on Jan. 30.
McCoy is currently the assistant presiding judge. He has been on the bench since his appointment in appointed in 1992.
Prior to that, he was with the law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton since 1975, and was previously chief of staff for the California State Board of Equalization.
Edmon is the first woman elected as assistant presiding judge. It is anticipated that will be chosen as presiding judge for 2011 and 2012.
Her appointment to the Superior Court came in 2000. She spent the previous 13 years with the law firm of Dewey Ballantine LLP.
Presiding Judge J. Stephen Czuleger commented yesterday:
“I could not be more pleased when I learned Judges McCoy and Edmon were to be named the MetNews Persons of the Year. I cannot think of a finer tribute to these two outstanding judges and judicial leaders. They are a credit to not only the Los Angeles Superior Court but to the entire statewide judiciary.
“Judge McCoy is a well respected leader whose efforts on behalf of the Court are reflected best by the esteem in which he is held by the judges of our court.
“Judge Edmon shares that respect with Judge McCoy and brings with her energy and talent that bodes well for the continued success of our court in the future on all fronts.
“The MetNews is well served by these selections”
Former Los Angeles District Attorney Robert H. Philibosian will resume duties as emcee, having relinquished that chore last year when he was an honoree. He will be playing the role for the 12th time.
Former persons of the year include the late Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Mildred Lillie, 1983; the late California Supreme Court Justice Stanley Mosk, 1984; the late Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Lester Wm. Roth, 1985; the late Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kathleen Parker, 1986; then-Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Billy G. Mills (since retired), 1987; then-Los Angeles Superior Court Executive Officer Frank Zolin, 1988 (now retired); then-Court of Appeal Justice Lynn “Buck” Compton (since retired), 1989; Court of Appeal Justice Miriam Vogel (now retired) and then-State Bar President Charles Vogel, 1990; Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Vaino Spencer (now retired), 1991; Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Joan Dempsey Klein, 1992; then-Los Angeles Superior Court Presiding Judge (now Court of Appeal Justice) Robert Mallano, 1993; Court of Appeal Justice Norman Epstein (now presiding justice), 1994; and then-California Attorney General (now Congressman) Dan Lungren, 1995.
Other honored were California Chief Justice Ronald George, 1996; Los Angeles Superior Court Judge (then-Assistant Presiding Judge) Victor E. Chavez, 1997; U.S. District Court Judge Ronald S.W. Lew, 1998; Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca, 1999; then-Judicial Appointments Secretary (now Los Angeles Superior Court Judge) Burt Pines, 2000; then-State Bar President Karen Nobumoto, 2001; Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, 2002; Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Burke, 2003; then-State Bar President John Van de Kamp and then-Los Angeles County Bar Assn. President John Collins, 2004; then-Los Angeles Superior Court Presiding Judge William MacLaughlin and then-Assistant Presiding Judge (now Presiding Judge) J. Stephen Czuleger, 2005; political consultant Joseph Cerrell, U.S. District Judge George Schiavelli of the Central District of California (now retired) and Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Paul A. Turner, 2006; and San Fernando Valley attorney and civic leader Lee Kanon Alpert, then-Los Angeles County Bar Assn. President Gretchen Nelson, and Philibosian, 2007.
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