New Judicial Appointments Reflect Slightly More Diversity
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
- Organization: The Daily Journal
SAN FRANCISCO - Two months after he was last blasted for not putting enough minorities on the bench, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday announced a slightly more diverse crop of 18 new judicial appointments.
In June, Sacramento lawmakers and ethnic bar groups chided the governor for naming only four minorities in a round of 26 judicial appointments to Superior Courts around the state. Of those, six were women.
This time around, the numbers are less skewed toward white males.
The governor's office refused to dilvuge the breakdown of minority groups represented in the most recent batch of appointments, nine in Los Angeles County and another nine spread throughout other counties.
Nine of the appointees are women, and at least six are believed to be minorities, according to Christopher Arriola, chair of the judicial committee of La Raza Lawyers of California.
Last year, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez slashed funding for 25 of 50 newly authorized judgeships, demanding Schwarzenegger show his commitment to diversity. The money was restored and, this year, lawmakers have called for the hiring of 50 more judges.
In July, Democratic lawmakers representing the Asian Pacific Islander, black and Latino caucuses urged legislative leaders to block funding for the newest judgeships, citing what they called Schwarzenegger's "dismal" record of appointing minorities and women to the bench.
Assemblyman Ted Lieu, incoming chair of the Asian Pacific Islander caucus, said the criticism may be working.
"It's a little bit better, especially in women," Lieu said, adding that he was happy to see Marguerite D. Downing and Elaine Lu appointed in Los Angeles County, both of whom he supplied with a letter of reference. Downing is black and Lu is Asian.
"It's headed in the right direction, but there's still a long way to go," Lieu said.
Gena Grebitus, a spokeswoman for the governor's office, said the governor is "committed to appointing the most qualified individuals to the bench who also represent California's rich diversity."
Grebitus said every appointment the governor makes - regardless of race or gender - reduces congestion in the state's courts. "They're so backlogged with cases," she said.
According to the governor's office, as of Monday, Schwarzenegger has appointed 278 judges: 7.9 percent of them Hispanic, 6.1 percent black and 7.2 percent Asian. As of June 22, when the governor made his last round of appointments, those groups were at 8.1 percent, 5.8 percent and 6. 5 percent, respectively.
Rozenia D. Cummings, president of the California Association of Black Lawyers, said Monday afternoon that she had not reviewed the demographic make-up of the latest group of appointments.
Cummings said she was happy, though, to hear Downing was appointed.
A deputy public defender for Los Angeles County, Downing is a former CABL president and vice president of the State Bar's Board of Governors. She recently ran for president of the Board of Governors, but lost to San Francisco attorney Jeffrey L. Bleich.
"We're very proud and pleased to know she's been appointed," Cummings said. "She is very well qualified and very deserving of that appointment."
The governor's latest round of appointments includes:
Los Angeles
Terry A. Bork, 50, of Pasadena, a deputy district attorney for Los Angeles County
Gregory A. Dohi, 42, of Los Angeles, a Los Angeles deputy district attorney
Marguerite D. Downing, 48 of Los Angeles, a Los Angeles deputy district attorney
Elizabeth R. Feffer, 38, of San Marino, a partner with Jones & Mayer
Lesley C. Green, 60, of Pasadena, a founding partner of Bannan, Green, Frank & Terzian
Elaine Lu, 39, of Los Angeles, an assistant U.S. attorney
Georgina Torres Rizk, 57, of Whittier, an administrative law judge for the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board
Elia Weinbach, 62, of Beverly Hills, a partner with Mitchell, Silberberg & Knapp
Melissa N. Widdifield, 48, of Los Angeles, a commissioner for Los Angeles County Superior Court
Monterey
Robert A. Burlison, 51, of Salinas, a deputy district attorney for Monterey County
Efren N. Iglesia, 57, of Salinas, senior deputy county counsel for Monterey County Counsel's Office
Riverside
Carol D. Codrington, 48, of Lake Elsinore, a commissioner for Riverside County Superior Court
Dale R. Wells, 54, of Indio, a commissioner for Riverside County Superior Court
Ventura
Douglas M. Daily, 56, of Camarillo, a commissioner for Ventura County Superior Court
Bruce A. Young, 55, of Ventura, a commissioner for Ventura County Superior Court
Napa
Mark Boessenecker, 48, of Napa, chief deputy district attorney for Napa County
Shasta
Molly Bigelow, 42, of Redding, a commissioner for the Shasta County Superior Court
Tulare
Jennifer Conn Shirk, 49, of Visalia, in private practice, specializing in family and juvenile law
In June, Sacramento lawmakers and ethnic bar groups chided the governor for naming only four minorities in a round of 26 judicial appointments to Superior Courts around the state. Of those, six were women.
This time around, the numbers are less skewed toward white males.
The governor's office refused to dilvuge the breakdown of minority groups represented in the most recent batch of appointments, nine in Los Angeles County and another nine spread throughout other counties.
Nine of the appointees are women, and at least six are believed to be minorities, according to Christopher Arriola, chair of the judicial committee of La Raza Lawyers of California.
Last year, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez slashed funding for 25 of 50 newly authorized judgeships, demanding Schwarzenegger show his commitment to diversity. The money was restored and, this year, lawmakers have called for the hiring of 50 more judges.
In July, Democratic lawmakers representing the Asian Pacific Islander, black and Latino caucuses urged legislative leaders to block funding for the newest judgeships, citing what they called Schwarzenegger's "dismal" record of appointing minorities and women to the bench.
Assemblyman Ted Lieu, incoming chair of the Asian Pacific Islander caucus, said the criticism may be working.
"It's a little bit better, especially in women," Lieu said, adding that he was happy to see Marguerite D. Downing and Elaine Lu appointed in Los Angeles County, both of whom he supplied with a letter of reference. Downing is black and Lu is Asian.
"It's headed in the right direction, but there's still a long way to go," Lieu said.
Gena Grebitus, a spokeswoman for the governor's office, said the governor is "committed to appointing the most qualified individuals to the bench who also represent California's rich diversity."
Grebitus said every appointment the governor makes - regardless of race or gender - reduces congestion in the state's courts. "They're so backlogged with cases," she said.
According to the governor's office, as of Monday, Schwarzenegger has appointed 278 judges: 7.9 percent of them Hispanic, 6.1 percent black and 7.2 percent Asian. As of June 22, when the governor made his last round of appointments, those groups were at 8.1 percent, 5.8 percent and 6. 5 percent, respectively.
Rozenia D. Cummings, president of the California Association of Black Lawyers, said Monday afternoon that she had not reviewed the demographic make-up of the latest group of appointments.
Cummings said she was happy, though, to hear Downing was appointed.
A deputy public defender for Los Angeles County, Downing is a former CABL president and vice president of the State Bar's Board of Governors. She recently ran for president of the Board of Governors, but lost to San Francisco attorney Jeffrey L. Bleich.
"We're very proud and pleased to know she's been appointed," Cummings said. "She is very well qualified and very deserving of that appointment."
The governor's latest round of appointments includes:
Los Angeles
Terry A. Bork, 50, of Pasadena, a deputy district attorney for Los Angeles County
Gregory A. Dohi, 42, of Los Angeles, a Los Angeles deputy district attorney
Marguerite D. Downing, 48 of Los Angeles, a Los Angeles deputy district attorney
Elizabeth R. Feffer, 38, of San Marino, a partner with Jones & Mayer
Lesley C. Green, 60, of Pasadena, a founding partner of Bannan, Green, Frank & Terzian
Elaine Lu, 39, of Los Angeles, an assistant U.S. attorney
Georgina Torres Rizk, 57, of Whittier, an administrative law judge for the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board
Elia Weinbach, 62, of Beverly Hills, a partner with Mitchell, Silberberg & Knapp
Melissa N. Widdifield, 48, of Los Angeles, a commissioner for Los Angeles County Superior Court
Monterey
Robert A. Burlison, 51, of Salinas, a deputy district attorney for Monterey County
Efren N. Iglesia, 57, of Salinas, senior deputy county counsel for Monterey County Counsel's Office
Riverside
Carol D. Codrington, 48, of Lake Elsinore, a commissioner for Riverside County Superior Court
Dale R. Wells, 54, of Indio, a commissioner for Riverside County Superior Court
Ventura
Douglas M. Daily, 56, of Camarillo, a commissioner for Ventura County Superior Court
Bruce A. Young, 55, of Ventura, a commissioner for Ventura County Superior Court
Napa
Mark Boessenecker, 48, of Napa, chief deputy district attorney for Napa County
Shasta
Molly Bigelow, 42, of Redding, a commissioner for the Shasta County Superior Court
Tulare
Jennifer Conn Shirk, 49, of Visalia, in private practice, specializing in family and juvenile law
Topics:
