Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Page 3
Probate, South District to Get New Supervising Judges
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Presiding Judge David M. Wesley has named new supervising judges for the Probate Departments and South District of the Los Angeles Superior Court, effective Jan. 1.
In orders filed last week, copies of which were obtained yesterday by the MetNews, Judge Michael Levanas was named supervising judge of probate and Judge Michael Vicencia was named to helm the Long Beach-based district of the court. They replace Judges Mitchell Beckloff and James Otto, respectively.
Judge Laura Laesecke will be the new assistant supervising judge in the South District.
Among other assignments, Judge Nicole Bershon, a former commissioner who was named a judge by Gov. Jerry Brown in July, will replace Judge John Meigs as site judge in Inglewood. Meigs, who has held the position for more than a decade, is retiring in March.
Wesley explained in a memo to judicial officers that the court will not be conducting its usual widespread movement of judicial officers at the beginning of the new year.
“We are making very few changes at this time,” he wrote. “What it simply means is that we anticipate making more assignment changes throughout the year as the Governor fills some of the 27 judicial vacancies that currently exist.”
Wesley added:
“Thus the assignment process will continue throughout 2014, using the preference sheet that you submitted as one of our guides, along with the needs of the court. In the meantime, I think you for your continued hard work and support in this challenging economic climate.”
Copyright 2013, Metropolitan News Company