Brown Elevates Lui to PJ, Appoints Egerton to Appeals Court

Friday, November 3, 2017

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Brown Elevates Lui to PJ, Appoints Egerton to Appeals Court

Names 10 to Los Angeles Superior Court

By a MetNews Staff Writer

Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. yesterday made two appointments to this district’s Court of Appeal, elevating Elwood Lui from his post as an associate justice in this district’s Div. One to the presiding justice spot in Div. Two, while choosing Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Anne H. Egerton to fill an associate justice vacancy in Div. Three.

He also placed San Diego Superior Court Judge Patricia Guerrero on Div. One of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, as an associate justice.

ANNE H. EGERTON

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge

PATRICIA GUERRERO

San Diego Superior Court Judge

Statewide, Brown made 34 superior court appointments, 10 in Los Angeles.

Lui’s Age

The appointment of Lui is unusual because of his age: 76.

ELWOOD LUI

Presiding Justice/Designate

After Lui was appointed to his present position in March 2015, the California Judges Association said its database reflected no one having been appointed to the Court of Appeal at an age older than 74, Lui’s age then.

That was Lui’s second appointment by Brown to the Court of Appeal. He was placed on Div. Three in 1981, serving there until to 1987, when he joined the law of Jones Day. Lui previously served as Los Angeles County Superior Court judge from 1980-81 and was on the Los Angeles Municipal Court from 1975-80.

He was a sole practitioner in 1975, an attorney at Mori and Katayama from 1971-75, and a deputy attorney general from 1969-71.

His law degree is from UCLA.

If confirmed by the Commission on Judicial appointments, he will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Roger W. Boren. This commission consists of Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Attorney General Xavier Becerra and the senior presiding justice of the district which, here, is Arthur Gilbert of Div. Six.

NBC Executive

Anne H. Egerton, 63, has been a Los Angeles Superior Court judge since 2001. She was a senior vice president of the National Broadcasting Company Inc. from 1990-2000, a partner at Munger, Tolles and Olson LLP from 1987-90, an associate there from 1983-86 and worked at Wilmer, Cutler and Pickering from 1981-82.

She received her law degree from the University of California at Berkeley.

If confirmed, she will fills a vacancy created by the retirement of Patti Kitching.

Guerrero has been on the bench since 2013. If confirmed by the commission—consisting of Cantil-Sakauye, Becerra and Presiding Justice Manuel A. Ramirez—she will fill a vacancy created by the death of Alex C. McDonald.

Superior Court Appointments

Appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court:


RASHIDA A. ADAMS *Senior Research Court Attorney*	BRETT BIANCO *Court Counsel*	BRUCE E. BRODIE *Chief Deputy Alternate Public Defender*	STEVE COCHRAN *Attorney*	NICOLE M. HEESEMANS *Commissioner*

WESLEY L. HSU *Deputy U.S. Attorney*	MARTHA A. MATTHEWS *Attorney*	VICTOR G. VIRAMONTES *Senior Counsel*	KERRY L. WHITE *Head Deputy District Attorney*	AMY C. YERKEY *Commissioner*

•Rashida A. Adams, 39, a senior research court attorney at this district’s Court of Appeal since 2009, filling a vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position.

•Brett Bianco, 49, court counsel to the Los Angeles Superior Court since 2001. Also filling a converted commissioner position.

•Bruce E. Brodie, 66, chief deputy alternate public defender since 2012, filling a converted commissioner position.

•Steve Cochran, 60, a partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP since 1991, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of John L. Henning.

•Nicole M. Heeseman, 44, a commissioner since 2014, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge John P. Doyle.

•Wesley L. Hsu, 46, a deputy U.S. Attorney for Central District of California since 2017, filling a vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissionership.

•Martha A. Matthews, 54, directing attorney of the Children’s Rights Project at Public Counsel since 2011, filling a former commissioner.

•Victor G. Viramontes, 44, national senior counsel at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund since 2010, filling the vacancy created by the death of Ralph W. Dau.

•Kerry L. White, 60, a head deputy district attorney in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office since 2003, where he was a deputy district attorney from 1984-2003, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Joanne B. O’Donnell.

•Amy C. Yerkey, 43, of a commissioner at the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2015, fills a vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position.

All of the appointees are Democrats except Lui, a Republican, and Heeseman, who has no party preference.