Governor Brown Appoints 6 Superior Court Judges

Published: Oct 29, 2018

SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G.Brown Jr. today
announced the appointment of 6 California
superior court judges, which include: One in
Alameda County; three in Los Angeles County; one
in Orange County; and one in San Bernardino County.

Alameda County Superior Court

Jason B. Chin, 42, of Alameda, has been appointed
to a judgeship in the Alameda County Superior
Court. Chin has served as a deputy district
attorney at the Alameda County District
Attorney’s Office since 2004. He served as a
deputy attorney general at the California
Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney
General in 2011. Chin earned a Juris Doctor
degree from the Pepperdine University School of
Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the
University of California, San Diego. He fills the
vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Vernon
K. Nakahara. Chin is registered without party preference.

Los Angeles County Superior Court

Scott R. Herin, 51, of Long Beach, has been
appointed to a judgeship in the Los Angeles
County Superior Court. Herin has served as a
deputy public defender at the Los Angeles County
Public Defender’s Office since 1999. He was an
attorney at Dependency Court Legal Services from
1998 to 1999 and at the Legal Aid and Defender
Association of Detroit from 1995 to 1997. Herin
earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Detroit
College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from
Michigan State University. He fills the vacancy
created by the elevation of Judge Michael J.
Raphael to the Court of Appeal. Herin is a Democrat.

Michael C. Kelley, 64, of Pasadena, has been
appointed to a judgeship in the Los Angeles
County Superior Court. Kelley has been a partner
at Sidley Austin LLP since 1987. He was a partner
at Kadison, Pfaelzer, Woodard, Quinn and Rossi in
1987, where he was an associate from 1979 to
1986. Kelley earned a Juris Doctor degree from
Yale Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree
from the University of Southern California. He
fills the vacancy created by the conversion of a
court commissioner position on August 28, 2018. Kelley is a Democrat.

Theresa R. McGonigle, 55, of Santa Monica, has
been appointed to a judgeship in the Los Angeles
County Superior Court. McGonigle has been
managing research attorney at the Los Angeles
County Superior Court since 2014, where she has
served in several positions since 1989, including
supervising research attorney, research attorney
and law clerk. She earned a Juris Doctor degree
from Notre Dame Law School and a Bachelor of Arts
degree from Santa Clara University. McGonigle
fills the vacancy created by the elevation of
Judge Dorothy C. Kim to the Court of Appeal. She
is registered without party preference.

Orange County Superior Court

Maurice Sanchez, 62, of Coto de Caza, has been
appointed to a judgeship in the Orange County
Superior Court. Sanchez has been a partner at
Nelson, Mullins, Riley and Scarborough since
2017. He was a partner at Baker and Hostetler
from 2005 to 2017, a shareholder at Alvarado,
Smith and Sanchez from 1993 to 2005 and managing
counsel at Mazda Motor of America Inc. from 1991
to 1993. Sanchez was senior counsel at Hyundai
Motor America from 1986 to 1991 and an associate
at Rutan and Tucker from 1981 to 1986. He earned
a Juris Doctor degree from the University of
California, Berkeley School of Law and a Bachelor
of Arts degree from the University of California,
Irvine. He fills the vacancy created by the
conversion of a court commissioner position on
August 28, 2018. Sanchez is registered without party preference.

San Bernardino County Superior Court

Christopher S. Pallone, 40, of Victorville, has
been appointed to a judgeship in the San
Bernardino County Superior Court. Pallone has
served as a deputy public defender at the San
Bernardino County Public Defender’s Office since
2016. He served as a deputy public defender at
the Yuba County Public Defender’s Office from
2012 to 2016 and from 2004 to 2008. Pallone
served as a deputy district attorney at the
Siskiyou County District Attorney’s Office from
2008 to 2012 and as a legal research assistant at
the Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office
from 2003 to 2004. He earned a Juris Doctor
degree from the University of the Pacific,
McGeorge School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts
degree from the University of California, Irvine.
He fills the vacancy created by the death of
Judge Victor Stull. Pallone is a Democrat.

The compensation for each of these positions is $200,042.