Newsom appoints 16 new judges to superior courts

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the appointment of 16 judges statewide, including Richard C. Miadich, who was appointed to serve as a judge in the Sacramento County Superior Court.

Miadich has served as chair of the California Fair Political Practices Commission since 2019. He held several positions at Olson Hagel & Fishburn LLP from 2005 to 2018, including managing partner. He will fill the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to the federal bench.

Miadich was the co-author of Proposition 64, a 2016 voter-approved ballot initiative that legalized recreational marijuana in California. He's litigated cases in front of the California Supreme Court and federal appeals courts, including Lee v. Keith (7th. CIR. 2006) 463 F. 3d 763. This case struck down restrictive ballot access laws in Illinois.

Stretch

Brian J. Stretch was appointed to the San Francisco County Superior Court. Stretch has been a partner at Sidley Austin LLP since 2018. He served as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California from 2016 to 2018. From 1999 to 2016, he held several positions in the U.S. attorney's office, including first assistant U.S. attorney and chief of the Criminal Division. Stretch served as a deputy district attorney in Marin County from 1994 to 1999. His appointment will fill the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Rita F. Lin to the federal bench.

Brian Caruth, Elizabeth L. Riles, and Bentrish Satarzadeh were appointed to the Alameda County Superior Court.

Caruth has been a member of the public defender's office since 1995 and rose to the rank of assistant public defender in 2021. He will fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Judge Richard Seabolt. Riles has served as a commissioner in the Alameda County Superior Court since 2023. Prior to that, she was an administrative law judge at the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. She will fill a vacancy created by the transfer of Judge Kevin Murphy to the Marin County Superior Court. Satarzadeh has served as a commissioner at the Alameda County Superior Court since 2018 and was a legal research attorney there from 2004 to 2018. She will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jacob Blea.

Marisa Hernández-Stern, Cristina Legaspi, Paris G. Lewis, Lowrie J. Mendoza, and Michael D. Weinstein were appointed to the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Hernández-Stern has served as a supervising deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice's Worker Rights and Fair Labor Section since 2020. She will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Katherine Chilton. Legaspi has been senior deputy county counsel in Los Angeles since 1999. She will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Monica Bachner. Lewis has served as a deputy public defender in Los Angeles County since 2000. She will fill the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Hernan D. Vera to the federal bench.

Mendoza was assistant head deputy district attorney in Los Angeles County since 2023 and has served in several roles there since 2005. She will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Terry A. Green. Weinstein has served as chief of the Noncapital Habeas Unit at the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California since 2022 and has served in several roles there since 2010. He will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Mary H. Strobel.

Bryan F. Clavecilla was appointed to the Orange County Superior Court. Clavecilla has served as a commissioner for the Orange County Superior Court for less than a month. From 2022 to 2024, he was the senior deputy district attorney in Orange County. He will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Linda Marks. Scott P. Williams was appointed to the Riverside County Superior Court. Williams has served as a deputy district attorney in Riverside County since 2007. He will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Craig G. Riemer.

Albert Hsueh was appointed to the San Bernardino County Superior Court. Hsueh has served as a supervising deputy public defender in San Bernardino County since 2021 and served as a deputy public defender there from 2010 to 2021. He will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Tara Reilly. Kelly J. Trujillo was appointed to the Solano County Superior Court. Trujillo has served as an assistant city attorney in Napa, Livermore and Vallejo. She will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge David Scott Daniels.

Saul Garcia was appointed to the Stanislaus County Superior Court. Garcia has served as a supervising deputy public defender in San Joaquin County. Garcia will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jack M. Jacobson. Dana K. Caudill was appointed to the Ventura County Superior Court. Caudill has been the managing attorney for the Los Angeles Office of Farmers Insurance Company for less than a month and has held several positions there since 1996. She will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Manuel Covarrubias.