Six Tapped for California Superior Court Benches

(CN) – Outgoing California Governor Jerry Brown filled six vacancies in superior courts across the state on Monday.

Alameda County

Colin T. Bowen, 55, of Oakland, was appointed to the Alameda County Superior Court after serving as supervising deputy city attorney since 2015 and interim board counsel at the Oakland Citizens Police Review Board. Previously, Bowen was a sole practitioner, a partner at Clay and Bowen LLP and a deputy public defender at the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office from 1994 to 2007. Bowen received his earned Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Roy Hashimoto.

Napa County

Scott R. L. Young, 39, of Napa, was appointed to the Napa County Superior Court. He previously served as a commissioner of the Napa County Superior Court and as a deputy district attorney at the Napa County District Attorney’s Office. Before that, Young served as a deputy district attorney at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and was a sole practitioner from 2005 to 2007. He did his undergraduate work at Southern Oregon University and received his law degree from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law. He fills a vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position.

Orange County

Sandy N. Leal, 46, of Irvine, was appointed to the Orange County Superior Court. She has served as a deputy chief at the U.S. Attorney’s Office Central District of California since 2015, where she has been an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 2004. Previously, Leal was an assistant district counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice Immigration and Naturalization Service. Leal received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington and received her law degree from Boston College Law School. She fills a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Timothy J. Stafford.

Sonoma County

Mark A. Urioste, 44, of Santa Rosa, was appointed to the Sonoma County Superior Court, where he was previously a commissioner. Urioste has served as a deputy district attorney for Sonoma County and before that was an associate at Babin and Seeger. Urioste did his undergraduate work at the University of Connecticut and received his law degree from the Lewis and Clark College School of Law. He will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Rene A. Chouteau.

In Yolo County, Tom M. Dyer, 44, and Peter M. Williams, 50, both of Sacramento were appointed to the Yolo County Superior Court.

Dyer is chief deputy legislative affairs secretary in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. and was legislative director at the California Department of Finance and at the California Department of Personnel Administration. Previously, Dyer was staff counsel at the California Department of Social Services, labor relations counsel at the California Department of Personnel Administration and enforcement counsel at the California Fair Political Practices Commission. Dyer has also served as deputy district attorney for Sutter County. He did his undergraduate work at the University of California, Davis, and received his law degree from the UC Davis School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Kathleen M. White.

Williams was deputy secretary, general counsel at the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency since 2016. Previously, he was with the state attorney general’s Fraud and Special Prosecutions Unit and was a cross-designated special federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Williams was an associate at Boutin Jones Inc., at Carle, Mackie, Power and Ross and at Bolling, Walter and Gawthrop. Williams did his undergraduate work at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and received his law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Steven M. Basha.

The compensation for each of these positions is $207,424.

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