Newsom appoints 12 Superior Court judges across California

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday the appointment of 12 Superior Court judges across California, including four appointments in Los Angeles County and two in San Diego County.

The appointments include attorneys, prosecutors, public defenders and judicial commissioners with experience in state and federal courts.

The other counties with new judges are: Monterey, Humboldt, Imperial, San Bernardino. San Joaquin and Yolo.

In Humboldt County, Heather Durand was appointed to the Superior Court. Durand has served as a deputy county counsel since 2018. Previously, she operated her own law practice and worked as an associate attorney at Dalton & Bicknell. She graduated from Empire College School of Law.

In Imperial County, Martin Gonzalez was appointed to the Superior Court. Gonzalez has served as a court referee since 2022. He previously worked as a deputy district attorney in the Imperial County District Attorney's Office and as an associate at Walker & Driskill. He graduated from the University of San Francisco School of Law.

In Los Angeles County, Kjehl Johansen was appointed to the Superior Court. Johansen has served as a court commissioner since 2017. Before taking the bench, he spent more than three decades as a deputy city attorney, including with the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office and Santa Monica City Attorney's Office. He graduated from Loyola Law School.

Lindsey Berg-James was appointed in Monterey County. She has worked at Noland, Etienne & Hoss since 2016 and became a shareholder in 2021. She previously worked at Schiff Hardin. Berg-James graduated from UC College of the Law, San Francisco.

In San Bernardino County, Evan Acker was appointed to the Superior Court. Acker became a court commissioner earlier this year. He previously spent more than a decade as a deputy district attorney with the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office. He graduated from University of San Diego School of Law.

Two appointments were made in San Diego County.

William Patrick Dudley was appointed after working as a sole practitioner since 2002. He previously served as a research attorney and earned his law degree from UC College of Law, San Francisco.

Michael Garabed was also appointed. Garabed has served as an assistant U.S. attorney since 2015 and previously was a partner at Reed Smith LLP. He graduated from USC Gould School of Law.

In Yolo County, Katherine Lucero was appointed to the Superior Court. Lucero has served since 2022 as director of the Office of Youth and Community Restoration within the California Health and Human Services Agency. Before that, she spent more than two decades with the Santa Clara County Superior Court, including as a judge from 2001 to 2022. She previously worked as a deputy district attorney in Santa Clara County. Lucero graduated from Syracuse University College of Law.

Newsom also made four interim appointments, allowing newly elected judges to take their seats immediately instead of waiting until January.

Binh Dang, a deputy public defender in the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office since 2006, was appointed to the Superior Court. He graduated from the University of San Diego School of Law.

Benyomin Forer, who has served as a deputy district attorney in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office since 2006, was also appointed. Forer has additionally taught as an adjunct professor at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering since 2014. He is a graduate of Southwestern Law School.

Candice Henry was appointed after serving as a deputy district attorney in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office since 2005. She previously worked as an associate at Gascou Hopkins and earned her law degree from the USC U Gould School of Law.

In San Joaquin County, Michael Rasmussen was appointed on an interim basis. Rasmussen has served as a court commissioner since 2020. Previously, he spent more than two decades as a deputy district attorney in the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office. He graduated from Lincoln Law School of Sacramento.