Metropolitan News-Enterprise

 

Monday, December 1, 2003

 

Page 1

 

Presiding Judge Names Six New Supervising Judges for 2004

 

By KENNETH OFGANG, Staff Writer

 

Los Angeles Superior Court Presiding Judge Robert Dukes has named six new supervising judges for 2004, while keeping most of the court’s management team intact.

Dukes Wednesday issued the court’s complete assignment list for next year. The new supervising judges include Thomas R. White, who replaces Steven D. Ogden in the North Valley District; Coleman A. Swart, who takes over for Mary Thornton House as supervising judge of both the North Central and Northeast Districts; Peter Espinoza, who takes over for Chris Conway in the Southeast District; and Mark S. Arnold, who replaces Eric Taylor in the Southwest District.

The others are David Sotelo, the new supervising judge for traffic—a post created last year and now held by Judge Sam Ohta—and Linda K. Lefkowitz, who will replace West District Supervising Judge Alan Haber.

Retained Administrators

Supervising judges who retain their current posts are Carolyn Kuhl in Civil, Aviva Bobb in Family Law, David S. Wesley in Criminal, George Genesta in the East District, Alice C. Hill in the North Valley District, Sandy R. Kriegler in the Northwest District, Bradford L. Andrews in the South District, and John Cheroske in the South Central District.

Michael Nash remains presiding juvenile court judge, with Emily Stevens staying on as supervising judge of the dependency court.

Dukes also named several new assistant presiding judges, including Patricia M. Schnegg, Criminal-Misdemeanor; John H. Sandoz, Family Law; Thomas C. Falls, East District; Janice C. Croft, North Central and Northeast districts; Melvin Sandvig, North Valley District; William R. Weisman, South District; Brian F. Gasdia, Southeast District; Francis J. Hourigan, Southwest District; and Gerald Rosenberg, West District.

The presiding judge also named several new site judges for courthouses that have no supervising judge or assistant supervising judge in residence. They include Judges Michael S. Mink in Burbank, Henry Barela in Central Arraignment Court, Barbara Scheper in Chatsworth, Joseph S. Biderman in Culver City, Charles W. Stoll in Glendale, Monica Bachner in West Covina, and John L. Segal in West Los Angeles.

New Post

There is also a new post of managing commissioner for child support, which goes to Commissioner Roberta Lee at Central Civil West.

Judge Dzintra Janavs remains managing judge for Writs and Receivers, where she and David Yaffe remain the only assigned judges.

Supervising judges typically serve for two years. An exception this year is in the Southwest District, where Taylor, who is the new president of the California Judges Association, is relinquishing the supervising judge post he took over in January.

 

Copyright 2003, Metropolitan News Company