(CN) – California Gov. Jerry Brown announced the appointment of 34 new judges to state superior courts on Thursday, selecting a balance of prosecutors and defenders, court commissioners, and lawyers in private practice that reflects California’s racial and ethnic diversity – though most of the choices are Democrats.
Barbara A. Dickinson, 56, of Oakland, an assistant public defender since 2013, and public defender since 1989 has been appointed to the Alameda County Superior Court. She is a Democrat.
Monica R. Diaz, 46, of Visalia, a chief deputy district attorney at the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office since 2015, has been appointed to the Fresno County Superior Court. She was a deputy district attorney from 2000 to 2015. She is a Democrat.
Brown also appointed 10 judges to Los Angeles Superior Court: Rashida A. Adams, Brett Bianco, Bruce E. Brodie, Steve Cochran, Nicole M. Heeseman, Wesley L. Hsu, Martha A. Matthews, Victor G. Viramontes, Kerry L. White and Amy C. Yerkey.
Adams, 39, of Pasadena has been a senior appellate court attorney at the Second District Court of Appeal since 2009. She is a Democrat.
Bianco, 49, of Altadena was court counsel at the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2001. He is a Democrat.
Brodie, 66, of Los Angeles has been chief deputy alternate public defender in the Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defender’s Office since 2012 and has held several positions there since 1994. He is a Democrat.
Cochran, 60, of Los Angeles is has been a partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP since 1991. He is a Democrat.
Heeseman, 44, of San Clemente has served as a commissioner at the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2014, and was a managing research attorney at the court from 2006-2014. She has no party preference.
Hsu, 46, of Pasadena has been Deputy U.S. Attorney for the Central District since 2017. He was previously an Assistant U.S. Attorney for 17 years. He is a Democrat.
Matthews, 54, of Los Angeles is directing attorney of the Children’s Rights Project at Public Counsel. She was previously an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California from 2000 to 2004 and at the National Center for Youth Law from 1998 to 2000 and from 1991 to 1995. She has also been a law professor at UCLA Law School and USC Law. She is a Democrat.
Viramontes, 44, of Whittier is the national senior counsel at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, where he’s worked since 2001. He is a Democrat.
White, 60, of Pasadena has been as a head deputy district attorney at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office since 2003. He was chief prosecutor at the Pasadena City Prosecutor’s Office in 2001. He is a Democrat.
Yerkey, 43, of Long Beach was a commissioner at the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2015, and was previously an administrative law judge at the U.S. Social Security Administration in 2015. She was also an attorney at U.S. Customs and Border Protection from 2006 to 2008. She is a Democrat.
Beth S. Jordan, 62, of San Rafael was appointed to the Marin County Superior Court. She has been a partner at Greene Jordan Taubman and Dias LLP since 2010. She was a partner at Greene and Jordan from 2003 to 2010. She is a Democrat.
Carly B. Dolan, 44, of Ukiah, a former assistant public defender at the Mendocino County Public Defender’s Office since 2013, was appointed to a judgeship in the Mendocino County Superior Court. She is a Democrat.