Newsom names 12 judges in 9 counties

Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed 12 new judges to Superior Courts across California, reflecting a diverse range of professional and geographic backgrounds.

The appointments on Wednesday include one judge each in Fresno, Mendocino, Orange, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano, and Tulare counties, and multiple appointments in Los Angeles and Riverside counties. These new judges bring extensive experience from both public and private practice, with several having served as commissioners, prosecutors, or public defenders.

In Los Angeles County, the three new judges are Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Casselman, longtime Deputy District Attorney Seza Mikikian, and Afsaneh Ashley Tabaddor, a law professor and former federal immigration judge. Their collective experience spans criminal prosecution, federal service, and immigration policy leadership.

Before her six years in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles, Casselman worked for 10 years as an associate at two law firms: Robins Kaplan and Wasserman, Comden, Casselman & Esensten. She graduated from Boston University School of Law.

Mikikian has spent her entire career in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, starting as a law clerk after graduating from Southwestern Law School. She became a prosecutor in 2007.

Afsaneh Ashley Tabaddor, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Tabaddor is a law professor at Southwestern Law School and an independent policy consultant. Her career has focused on federal service. Most recently, she was chief counsel at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Before that, she spent 16 years as an immigration judge. She also worked as an assistant U.S. attorney, trial attorney, and attorney adviser in the Central District of California. She is a graduate of UC College of Law, San Francisco.

Steven Crass, now elevated to the Fresno County bench, was of counsel at Wanger Jones Helsley; a partner at Baker Manock & Jensen; and of counsel at Littler Mendelson before becoming a court commissioner two years ago. After graduating from the University of San Diego School of Law, his varied career included service as a Merced County deputy district attorney, a U.S. Navy lieutenant for five years, an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of California, and an associate at Lang Richert & Patch.

Mendocino County's new judge is County Counsel Charlotte Scott. Before joining that office in 2016, she spent eight years as a sole practitioner, worked as a contract attorney and associate at Brayton Purcell, served as a deputy county counsel in Lake County, and was an associate at Schneider Wallace Cottrell Konecky. She graduated from UCLA School of Law.

Orange County Commissioner Carmen Snuggs-Spraggins, now elevated to a judgeship, has eight years of experience as an administrative law judge and 11 years as a deputy California attorney general. She became an associate at Abeltin and Migoya after graduating from Loyola Law School.

Riverside County's new judges are Commissioner Gareit Newstrom and Jonathan Mendoza, owner of Empire Law since 2017. Mendoza spent 16 years as a deputy public defender and graduated from the University of La Verne College of Law.

Newstrom, a graduate of Western State College of Law, was a sole practitioner for five years before becoming a commissioner. She also served as a senior associate at Hess Verdon & Associates, owned her own law firm for three years, and worked as a juvenile defense contract attorney. She previously clerked at Cronin Law Group.

Lianne Dumas, of San Mateo County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Francisco County Superior Court.

San Francisco Deputy City Attorney Lianne Dumas also brings to the bench experience as an attorney at the Judicial Council, owner of LMD Legal Aid, and holds a law degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law.

Appointed to the San Mateo County court, Vivian Wang has been an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of California and an associate at Berliner Cohen as well as at Davis Polk & Wardwell. She graduated from Stanford Law School.

Sole practitioner Wendy R. Casas is moving from Yolo County to join the Solano County bench. She has been a deputy public defender in Solano and Kern counties and is a graduate of UC Davis School of Law.

Roger Wilson, a Fresno-based sole practitioner for the past 13 years, was appointed to the Tulare County court. His career includes service as counsel at Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver; associate at Nuttall Coleman & Wilson; and deputy district attorney in Fresno and Tulare counties. He graduated from San Joaquin College of Law.