Newsom names 14 Superior Court judges across 7 counties

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced his appointment of 14 Superior Court judges, including three who were elected in the June 2 primary and will be able to take the bench early, rather than waiting until January.

The appointments included one in El Dorado County, four in Los Angeles County, three in San Diego County, two in Orange County, one in Santa Barbara County, two in Santa Clara County and one in Stanislaus County.

He also moved a Contra Costa County judge to Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The three appointments allowing judges already elected to immediately fill vacancies created by retired judges are: Stephanie Shirkey in El Dorado County, Irene Lee in Los Angeles County and Leah Boucek in San Diego County each won election on June 2 and now will assume office months ahead of the start of their elected terms in January 2027.

In Los Angeles County, Newsom also appointed Commissioner Haaris Syed, Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Lee and veteran criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Stephen Meister.

Syed has been a commissioner since earlier this year after more than two decades as a deputy public defender. Lee has served on the Contra Costa County Superior Court since 2021 after previously working as a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney. Meister has led his own law practice since 2011 after serving eight years as a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney.

Orange County received appointments of Thomas Fay, a lead appellate attorney at the 4th District Court of Appeal, Division 3, and Diana King, a supervising attorney with the Long Beach City Prosecutor's Office and former Orange County deputy district attorney.

San Diego County's additional appointees are Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Kimura and Deputy Public Defender Desirae Sanders. Kimura has served in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California since 2011. Sanders has served in the San Diego County Public Defender's Office since 2011.

Newsom also appointed Juan Higuera, a deputy public defender, to the Santa Barbara County Superior Court; Santa Clara County Deputy Public Defender Jeremy Kroger and McDermott Will & Schulte partner Bhanu Sadasivan to the Santa Clara County Superior Court; and Stanislaus County Chief Deputy County Counsel Shaundeep Wahid to the Stanislaus County Superior Court.

The appointments fill vacancies created primarily by judicial retirements. Wahid will fill the vacancy created by the death of Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Shawn D. Bessey, while Orange County's Diana King will succeed Judge Deborah C. Servino following Servino's elevation to the 4th District Court of Appeal.