Monterey County Superior
Perhaps Lydia Villarreal, a former legal aid lawyer who championed farmworkers' rights, thought a seat on the Monterey County bench had her name on it.
Only five months after her 1995 appointment to the Municipal Court, she lost her seat in a special election that divided the Hispanic community. So when Villarreal was selected again for a judgeship last fall, it seemed that fate, not to mention patience and persistence, had triumphed.
Soft-spoken and res... (continued)
