Four Appointed to Los Angeles Superior Court

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

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Four Appointed to Los Angeles Superior Court

By Kimber Cooley, associate editor

The Los Angeles Superior Court has four new members, with Gov. Gavin Newsom selecting Commissioner Kjehl Johansen for judgeship and calling up for immediate service by way of interim appointments Candice Henry, Ben Forer, and Binh Dang, each of whom was set to take office in January based on success in the June primary election.

Newsom announced the appointments late Monday.

Johansen, who holds a degree from Loyola Law School, has served as a commissioner for the Los Angeles Superior Court since 2017. Prior to his time on the bench, he worked as a deputy with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, from 1986 to 2017.

He will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Stephen P. Pfahler.

Henry, a graduate of the University of Southern California Gould School of Law who ran unopposed in the primary election, has worked for the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office since 2005 and was serving as assistant head deputy of the Major Narcotics Division at the time she announced her candidacy. Monday’s appointment allows her to immediately take the seat previously occupied by Judge Craig Richman, who retired.

Forer, another veteran prosecutor with the District Attorney’s Office, was also selected for an interim appointment. He secured more than 69% of the vote in June, defeating solo practitioner Cheryl C. Turner, in his bid to succeed Judge Marc D. Gross, who retired.

He has been with the office since 2006 and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering since 2014. A graduate of Southwestern Law School, Forer has earned a name for himself as an expert in cyber law and electronic evidence.

Hailing from the other side of the courtroom, Dang has served as a deputy with the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office since 2006. He ran unopposed in the primary, securing the seat vacated by Kimberly Guillement, who retired; Dang is a graduate of the University of San Diego School of Law.

All four appointees to the Los Angeles Superior Court are Democrats.

Newsom made eight other appointments to superior courts across the state on Monday. He selected judges for the counties of Humboldt, Imperial, Monterey, San Bernardino, San Diego, Yolo, and San Joaquin.

Five out of the eight are registered Democrats and the remaining three are unaffiliated.