End of the Month

Judges Solner, Meisinger, Slate Retirements...Commissioner Copelan Leaves Court for Sheriff’s Department...Senate Judiciary Committee Delays Action on Ninth Circuit Nominees

Judiciary: Vacancies, Appointments

Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

The nominations of John B. Owens and Michelle T. Friedland to the Ninth Circuit were held over by the Senate Judiciary Committee Dec. 19.
No new date for action by the committee has been set.
Owens was nominated Aug. 1 for the seat vacant since Dec. 31, 2004, when Judge Stephen Trott assumed senior status. The 41-year-old litigator is a former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles and San Diego, where he headed the Criminal Division before joining Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP last year.
President Obama on Aug. 1 also nominated Friedland to the court. Like Owens, she is a Munger Tolles litigation partner. Friedland is based in San Francisco and Owens in Los Angeles.
If confirmed by the Senate, Friedland will fill a judgeship vacant since April 1, when Judge Raymond C. Fisher assumed senior status. Friedland, 41, is a former lecturer at Stanford Law School, from which she graduated in 2000.

There are no current vacancies, but Judge Gary Feess is taking senior status on March 13 of next year.

There are no vacancies.

First District

Presiding Justice James Marchiano retired from Div. One March 15. Justice James Lambden retired from Div. Two July 31.

Second District

Presiding Justice Robert Mallano is retiring from Div. One and Justice Steven Suzukawa from Div. Four Feb. 28.
Justice Frank Jackson retired from Div. Seven June 30. Justice Orville Armstrong retired from Div. Five July 31.
Justice Kathryn Doi Todd retired from Div. Two on Jan. 22. Justice Paul Coffee retired from Div. Six on Jan. 31 of last year.

Third District

There has been a vacancy since Tani Cantil-Sakauye became chief justice in January 2011. Those whose names have been sent to the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation reportedly include San Joaquin Superior Court Judge George Abdallah and Sacramento Superior Court Judges Thadd Blizzard, Helena Gweon, David Abbott, David DeAlba and Kevin Culhane.

Fifith District

Justice Rebecca Wiseman retired Oct. 31.

Seats in other districts are filled.

Los Angeles Superior Court

Gov. Jerry Brown named 12 new judges this month, eight on Dec. 5 and four on Dec. 27.
The earlier group of appointees included Deborah S. Brazil, Carl H. Moor, Connie R. Quinones, Armen Tamzarian, Sergio C. Tapia, Lee W. Tsao, Frank M. Tavelman and Joel Wallenstein.
Brazil, a deputy district attorney, fills a seat that has been vacant since a commissioner position was converted last year. Moor, a partner at Munger Tolles and Olson LLP fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Richard A. Adler April 1.
Quinones, a Los Angeles County deputy alternate public defender, fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge John S. Fisher Feb. 22. Tamzarian, a senior attorney at this district’s California Court of Appeal, fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Dudley W. Gray Feb. 19.
Tapia, a deputy alternate public defender, fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jan G. Levine Feb. 13. Tsao, a deputy public defender, fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Peter J. Meeka March 29.
Tavelman, a deputy district attorney, and Wallenstein, who was a commissioner of the court, filled vacancies created by the conversion of a court commissioner position last year.
The newer group of appointees was made up of Mark K. Hanasono, Daniel Juarez, Shelley L. Kaufman and Dorothy C. Kim.
Hanasono, a deputy alternate public defender, fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Stephanie Sautner. Juarez, a state administrative law judge, fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Joseph F. De Vanon Jr.
Kaufman, an attorney at Geragos and Geragos, fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Philip H. Hickok. Kim fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Linda K. Lefkowitz.
Still vacant are the seats last held by Judges Diane Wheatley, who retired April 16; John Reid, who retired June 2; Lawrence Mira, who stepped down July 24; Shari K. Silver, who retired Aug. 1; Charles W. McCoy, who retired Sept. 1; Beverly Reid O’Connell, who joined the federal bench April 30; Cynthia Rayvis, who took disability retirement Aug. 22 and died Dec. 28, and Dewey L. Falcone, who retired May 8 and died Aug. 15.
Judge Janice Croft’s last day on the bench is today, and she will officially retire Feb. 18, Judge Jessica Silvers is retiring Feb. 20, and Judge John Meigs is stepping down March 7. Meigs’ last day on the bench will be Jan. 17.
There is a vacancy in a position that the Legislature authorized but has never funded, and four other commissioner positions have been converted to judgeships that have not yet been filled.
Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner James Copelan retired Dec. 8 to become director of internal security for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.

Legislation of Interest to the Legal Community

The Legislature was in recess during December