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Court of Appeal Justice Ashmann-Gerst Retires
By a MetNews Staff Writer
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JUDITH ASHMANN-GERST |
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California Court of Appeal Justice Judith Ashmann-Gerst, 81, has gone into retirement after more than four decades of judicial service.
The court announced late Wednesday that she had left her post effective the previous day.
Ashmann-Gerst was appointed to the Los Angeles Municipal Court in 1981 by then-Gov. Jerry Brown. In 1986, she was elected to the Los Angeles Superior Court in a contest with Malibu Municipal Court Commissioner Richard Brand, now deceased, and then-Superior Court Referee William R. “Ron” Pardee.
Then-Gov. Gray Davis elevated her to Div. Two of this district’s Court of Appeal. The nomination was confirmed bny the Commission on Judicial Appointment on Dec. 7, 2002.
Changes Surname
Until she began her service on the appellate bench, she was known as “Judith Ashmann.” She had retained the surname of her first husband because it was by that name that she was known in the legal community. However, as a justice, she signed her opinions as “Ashmann-Gerst,” explaining to the METNEWS that it “seemed the right time” to use that name, saying that she “thought it was a nice 20th anniversary present” to her husband, retired attorney Robert J. Gerst.
A 1972 graduate of Whittier Law School, she served prior to the bench as an assistant attorney general, special counsel to then-Los Angeles City Attorney Burt Pines (who was later a Los Angeles Superior Court judge and is now retired), and as executive assistant at the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Bar Association Awards
She was named “judge of the year” by the San Fernando Criminal Courts Bar Association for 1990-1991, the Los Angeles County Bar Association Criminal Section in 1994, and the San Fernando Valley Bar Association in 1995.
The Court of Appeal said in a statement:
“The Second Appellate District extends its deepest gratitude to Justice Ashmann-Gerst for her decades of service to the California judiciary. Her commitment to justice, her leadership in judicial education and court technology, and her dedication to mentoring the next generation of legal professionals have left an indelible mark on California’s legal system. Her thoughtful opinions, her mastery of both criminal and civil law, and her unwavering dedication to the rule of law have earned her the respect and admiration of her colleagues, the bar, and the community.”
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