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Supreme Court Announces New Appointment to Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions
By a MetNews Staff Writer
The California Supreme Court announced Wednesday the appointment of Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brett D. Bianco to the Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions.
Bianco was chosen to serve the remainder of the term vacated by former Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michelle Williams Court, who was recently appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
A press release highlighted Bianco’s experience, saying:
“As the newest member of the committee, Judge Bianco brings to the committee a strong interest in judicial ethics. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Bianco was an active member of legal communities across the state, having practiced as a deputy district attorney in Riverside County and as court counsel for the Los Angeles Superior Court until his appointment to the bench in 2017. Judge Bianco’s judicial assignments have included child welfare and juvenile justice matters.”
Bianco received his law degree from Pepperdine University. He will serve from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31.
The release also announced the reappointment of three current members to the committee. Los Angeles Superior Court Presiding Judge Samantha P. Jessner, retired Court of Appeal Justice Judith L. Haller of the Fourth District’s Div. One, and retired Sacramento Superior Court Presiding Judge Michael T. Garcia were reappointed to serve an additional four years.
Jessner was placed on the committee in 2017 and now sits on the executive committee. Prior to her service on the bench, Jessner was an assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California for approximately 11 years.
She earned her degree from the University of California at Berkeley.
Haller, a graduate of California Western School of Law, was appointed to the committee by the Supreme Court in 2013. She has been active in judicial ethics, having served as the chair and vice-chair of the California Judges Association ethics committee and as a special master in Commission on Judicial Performance proceedings.
Judicial Education
Garcia is active in judicial education as a faculty member at the Center for Judicial Education and Research, as dean of the B.E. Witkin California Judicial College, and as chair of the New Judge Education Committee and Continuing Judicial Studies Programs. He graduated from UC Davis School of Law and was appointed to the committee in 2009.
The Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions (“CJEO”) was created in 2007 by the state’s high court as an independent committee to help inform the judiciary and the public on ethics matters.
CJEO publishes formal advisory opinions, issues confidential written opinions, and provides oral advice on proper judicial conduct pursuant to the California Code of Judicial Ethics and other authorities. The committee acts independently of the Supreme Court, the Commission on Judicial Performance, the Judicial Council, and all other entities.
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