Newsom nominates 2 Court of Appeal justices, appoints 18 superior court judges

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday his nomination of two Court of Appeal justices and appointed 18 superior court judges throughout the state, effective immediately.

Judge Monique S. Langhorne Wilson, on the Napa County Superior Court since 2018, was nominated as a justice of the 1st District Court of Appeal, Division 1. She was a commissioner for 12 years and a deputy district attorney for the county for six years before that. If confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, she will fill the vacancy created by Judge Gabriel P. Sanchez being appointed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Feinberg

Newsom also nominated Munger Tolles & Olson LLP of counsel Aimee A. Feinberg as a justice of the 3rd District Court of Appeal. From Yolo County, Feinberg rejoined Munger Tolles this year after working as a deputy solicitor general for the California Department of Justice since 2014. She was the director of the California Supreme Court Clinic at UC Davis School of Law for two years and an associate at Munger Tolles from 2005 to 2011. If confirmed, Feinberg will replace Justice Andrea L. Hoch, who retired last year.

The governor named eight Los Angeles County Superior Court judges:

• Kelly Boyer, a supervising attorney at the Los Angeles City Attorney's office since 2019;

• Stephanie Dixon, who has worked at the Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defender's office since 2002;

• Christine Gonong, a court commissioner since 2022;

• Anne Kiley, a partner at Elkins Kalt Weintraub Reuben & Gartside LLP since 2016;

• Natalie Nardecchia, a senior trial attorney for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission since 2019;

• Scott Nord, a court commissioner since 2015;

• Melanie Ochoa, the director of police practices at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California since 2021; and

• Stephanie Santoro, a deputy state attorney general since 2012.

The Orange County Superior Court will gain three new judges:

• June Jee An, a court commissioner since 2022;

• Huy Nguyen, a senior deputy alternate defender for the county since 2018; and

• Kunthavi Watson, a court commissioner appointed this year.

Sole practitioner Anne Costin and Hallinan & Wine partner Kenneth Wine were appointed to the San Francisco County Superior Court.

• Costin was an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law from 2011 to 2017 and an associate at the Dolan Law Firm from 2007 to 2013.

• Wine has been with his firm since 2000 and was previously an Associate at Niesen & Associates.

• Melissa O'Connell, the interim co-legal director at Santa Clara University School of Law's Northern California Innocence Project, will serve as a Contra Costa County Superior Court judge. She has worked in private practice and as a deputy public defender.

• Fresno County Deputy District Attorney Miguel Valdovinos was appointed to Madera County Superior Court. He was a deputy district attorney for Madera County from 2020 to this June.

• Melissa Hale was named as a Riverside County Superior Court judge. She has been a deputy public defender for the county since 2006.

• Kevin Murphy, an Alameda County Superior Court judge since 2006, will move to Marin County Superior Court.

• Stephen Dunkle will serve as a Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge. Dunkle has been a partner at Sanger Dunkle Law PC since 2011.