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Three Judges Approach End of Bench Service
Recana, Bernal, Villar to Leave Los Angeles Superior Court
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Three Los Angeles Superior Court judges—Mel Red Recana, Margaret Miller Bernal, and Mary Lou Villar—are about to leave the bench.
Recana, a former Los Angeles Municipal Court presiding judge, will depart on Dec. 31, after more than 43 years of judicial service. After using earned vacation days, he will officially retire on Jan. 6, when his term of office expires.
He was up for reelection this year but opted not to run, creating an open seat, won by Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Christmas Brookens in the March 5 primary.
Bernal’s last day on the bench and her official retirement date will be Jan. 3, 18 days shy of 27 years since her appointment to a judicial post and two days before her term is up. She will be succeeded by Los Angeles Deputy Public Defender Ericka J. Wiley who prevailed in a Nov. 5 run-off.
Villar, a judge for 18 years, will leave the bench and officially retire on Dec. 31.
Recana Looks Back
Recana—who on May 27, 1981, became the first Filipino American judge in the United States—reflected on Saturday:
“As I looked back, time went so fast. It seems like it was only yesterday when Gov. Jerry Brown swore me in personally at MacArthur Park in 1981. It is now 43 years after.”
He noted that his son Julian C. Recana, also appointed by Brown, has been a Los Angeles Superior Court judge for nine years.
“I truly had a great time being a judge,” he remarked. “Good lawyers, interesting cases, well-trained staff, and a judicial system that is the best in the world”
Lawyer in Manila
Recana, who practiced law in Manila before coming to the United States. He was admitted to the State Bar of California 1974 and was in private practice prior to his appointment to the bench except for a period from 1977-80 when he was a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney.
In 1994 and 1995, Recana was assistant presiding judge of the Los Angeles Municipal Court, and served as presiding judge in 1996 and 1997. He was chair of the Los Angeles County Municipal Court Judges’ Association in 1999, as well as serving that year as president of the California Asian Judges Association.
The judge recounted:
“I was surprised when I received a letter asking me if I was interested in attending Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. I was excited but was dismayed when I was told that I could not leave my judicial position for more than 90 days.”
If he were to be absent from the courthouse for more than 90 days, the governor could declare a vacancy and make an appointment to the seat, he noted. The governor at the time was Pete Wilson, a Republican; Recana is a Democrat.
Advice From Jaeger
He recited that the Los Angeles Municipal Court’s presiding judge, Karl Jaeger (later elected to the Superior Court) had been a mayor of Montebello mayor, and had some political advice for him:
“Mel, if you don’t have the law, then make one.”
Recana recounted:
“I took his advice literally and contacted Speaker Willie Brown who loved the idea of paying less to a commissioner while I was attending school. Thus, the Judges Sabbatical Law came about.”
It was enacted in 1992, with Government Code §68554 now providing that “the Judicial Council may grant any judge a leave of absence for a period not to exceed one year for the purpose of permitting study which will benefit the administration of justice and the individual’s performance of judicial duties, upon a finding that the absence will not work to the detriment of the court.”
In 1993, Recana was awarded a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
The judge was elevated to the Superior Court in 2000 as the result of trial court unification.
Relating his plans, he said:
“I have worked all my life so I know it would be hard for me not to do anything. I am looking at working as an assigned judge or maybe, like some of my colleagues, as a mediator.
“However, since I am happily married, staying home, and doing a little traveling is also a great option.”
Bernal’s Reflections
Bernal said:
“My 32 years on the bench have been the opportunity of a lifetime. I’ve loved being a bench officer and I will truly miss my colleagues because we are more than colleagues, we are friends.
“The Southeast District is a special place to work. We enjoy each other’s company and work as a team, always stepping in when needed to keep things running smoothly, and stand by each other through life’s inevitable ups and downs. I’m proud of the nine years I served as supervising judge here, under five different presiding judges, through some very challenging times.
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MARGARET MILLER BERNAL Superior Court judge |
My best memory is being a coach and running our local high school’s Mock Trial team for 17 years. The memories and friendships with the kids, now adults, are the gift that keeps giving.”
As to her plans, she related:
“My husband and I plan to travel more in the U.S. and abroad. But in between trips, I hope to sit on assignment and have joined the Temporary Judges Program.”
Bernal was appointed to the Whittier Municipal Court in 1998 by then-Gov. Pete Wilson. She had been serving as a commissioner of that court since 1992, and before that, was in private practice in Whittier.
Her 1983 law degree is from Loyola.
Villar’s Background
Villar—also known as Villar de Longoria—was appointed to the Superior Court in 2006 by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. She was, at the time, an administrative law judge for the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, a post she held for 15 years.
She received her law degree from UCLA in 1982.
Her brother is former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
Villar did not respond to a request for comments.
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