Friday, August 8, 2003
Page 3
Gov. Davis Appoints Four to Orange Superior Court
By a MetNews Staff Writer
A federal prosecutor, a civil litigator, a family law specialist and a court commissioner were named yesterday to the Orange Superior Court by Gov. Gray Davis.
The appointments bring to 13 the number of judges named by Davis in just over two weeks.
The governor, who faces a recall vote Oct. 7, had made no appointments for over three months until naming Adolpho M. Corona to the Fresno Superior Court July 21. The governor’s press office said 45 statewide Superior Court vacancies remain.
Named to the Orange County bench yesterday were attorneys David A. Hoffer and Linda S. Marks of Irvine, lawyer Mark Millard of Newport Beach, and Superior Court Commissioner Salvador Sarmiento of Santa Ana. The three attorneys have experience as temporary bench officers.
Hoffer, 39, is the deputy chief of the United States Attorney’s office in Santa Ana. He became an assistant U.S. attorney in 1990, serving until 1995 and rejoining the office in 1997. In 1998, he received a special commendation from then-FBI Director Louis Freeh for his work in obtaining the first life sentence in the Central District of California under the federal three-strikes law.
He represented business clients in complex litigation as an associate in the Orange County office of Irell & Manella from 1988 to 1990 and with the Orange County firm of Stradling, Yocca, Carlson & Rauth from 1995 to 1997, and has served as a judge pro tem in small claims cases at the Harbor Justice Center.
He graduated from Stanford University, and earned his law degree at Boalt Hall. He fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Raymond Ikola to Div. Three of the Fourth District Court of Appeal.
Marks, 45, is a sole personal injury practitioner and an arbitrator affiliated with Judicate West. She practiced with the firm of Marks & Yocum from 1998 to 2002 and Earley, Baruch & Marks from 1989 to 1990, and began her career as a Los Angeles deputy public defender in 1985.
Marks has served as a judge pro tem for the Orange County Superior Court in small claims and traffic cases and as an adjunct professor at Western State School of Law, where she taught alternative dispute resolution.
She received her undergraduate degree from UCLA and her law degree from Southwestern Law School. She replaces Judge David Brickner, who retired.
Millard, 65, is a member of the Santa Ana firm of Millard, Castle & Monarch, which he formed in 1985. He was among the first group of attorneys to be certified as family law specialists by the State Bar in 1980.
He was a partner at Lemkin, Schilling & Millard from 1980 to 1985, a partner at Oster, Millard & Suchman from 1968 to 1980, and an associate at Hurwitz & Hurwitz from 1964 to 1968. He has served as a judge pro tem for the Family Law Department of the Orange County Superior Court and as a private judge in family law matters.
Millard has degrees from USC and USC Law School. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Christopher Strople.
Sarmiento, 52, has been a Superior Court Commissioner since 1997. He handles traffic arraignments, felony preliminary hearings, misdemeanor criminal trials, and limited jurisdiction civil trials in the Santa Ana Courthouse.
He was a sole practitioner in Orange County from 1981 to 1997 and was president of the Hispanic Bar Association in 1985.
The commissioner earned an undergraduate degree from the UC Irvine and received his law training at UCLA. He replaces retired Judge John Woolley.
Each of the judges will each receive a salary of $139,476.
Copyright 2003, Metropolitan News Company