U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
California · A federal trial court, where federal civil and criminal cases are first heard. Appeals go to the Ninth Circuit.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California is a United States district court, a federal trial court where most federal civil and criminal cases are first heard. It lies within the Ninth Circuit, which reviews its decisions on appeal. This page lists every judge to serve on the court, current and former, with who appointed them and whom they succeeded.
Party letters here are the appointing president’s, never a judge’s own: D Democratic, R Republican, N pre-modern-party era (Federalist, Whig, and other early parties); “–” means no recorded party. Counts cover the court’s entire history.
Judges in active service
- Dana M. Sabraw
- Janis L. Sammartino
- Cathy A. Bencivengo
- Cynthia A. Bashant
- Todd W. Robinson
- Linda Lopez
- Jinsook Ohta
- Robert S. Huie
- Ruth B. Montenegro
- Andrew G. Schopler
- James E. Simmons Jr.
- Benjamin J. Cheeks
Senior judges
Still members of the court: senior judges have stepped back from a full docket but continue to hear cases.
- Marilyn L. Huff
- Barry T. Moskowitz
- Jeffrey T. Miller
- Thomas J. Whelan
- M. J. Lorenz
- William Q. Hayes
- John A. Houston
- Michael M. Anello
- Anthony J. Battaglia
- Gonzalo P. Curiel
Seats over time
Each band is one judgeship, from the court’s founding to today. A segment’s width is the holder’s tenure; its color is the appointing president’s party. Gaps are vacancies.
M. James Lorenz (current) · Anthony Joseph Battaglia (current) · James Edward Simmons Jr. (current) · Cynthia Ann Bashant (current) · Jeffrey T. Miller (current) · Cathy Ann Bencivengo (current) · Marilyn L. Huff (current) · Todd Wallace Robinson (current) · Thomas J. Whelan (current) · Gonzalo Paul Curiel (current) · Benjamin Jerome Cheeks (current) · Janis Lynn Sammartino (current) · Michael M. Anello (current) · Robert Steven Huie (current) · Barry Ted Moskowitz (current) · Jinsook Ohta (current) · Andrew George Schopler (current) · Dana Makoto Sabraw (current) · William Q. Hayes (current) · John A. Houston (current) · Ruth Bermudez Montenegro (current) · Linda Lopez (current) · William Benner Enright · Gordon Thompson Jr. · Paul John McCormick · Howard Boyd Turrentine
Former judges
Magistrate judges
Appointed by the judges of this district to renewable 8-year terms, not nominated by the president or confirmed by the Senate. They handle pretrial matters, misdemeanors, and many civil cases by consent.
| Magistrate judge | Years |
|---|---|
| Daniel E. Butcher | 2020–present |
| Allison H. Goddard | 2019–present |
| Michael S. Berg | 2018–present |
| Linda Lopez | 2018–present |
| Andrew G. Schopler | 2016–present |
| Jill L. Burkhardt | 2014–present |
| Karen S. Crawford | 2012–present |
| Barbara L. Major | 2012–present |
| Mitchell D. Dembin | 2011–present |
| Michael J. Seng | 2010–present |
| Bernard G. Skomal | 2010–present |
| William V. Gallo | 2009–present |
| Peter C. Lewis | 2004–present |
| Nita Stormes | 2000–present |
| Robert N. Block | 1995–present |
| Ruben B. Brooks | 1993–present |
| Ruth Bermudez Montenegro | 2018–2022 |
| David H Bartick | 2012–2018 |
| William Mccurine | 2004–2014 |
| Jan M Adler | 2003–2018 |
| Louisa S Porter | 1991–2012 |
Bankruptcy court
Practicing before this court
The rules that govern a case here (the S.D. California’s local rules, standing orders, and each judge’s own procedures) live on the court’s official site. Direct links:
- Local rules
- Standing & general orders
- Judges' individual procedures
- Electronic filing (CM/ECF)
- S.D. California official website
Links to the court’s own site, verified 2026-07-05. Rules change. Confirm against the court’s current posting before filing.
How a judge gets here. Each judge is nominated by a president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, then holds a numbered seat, for life, until they take senior status, or until they leave the bench. Open any judge to see who appointed them, how the Senate voted, and whom they succeeded, a chain that runs back to 1850. This court is also served by magistrate judges, listed above, whom the district’s own judges appoint. Read more on how federal judges are appointed.
Source: FJC Biographical Directory and CourtListener / Free Law Project (bulk data). Data as of 2026-08-10 (FJC); magistrates 2026-03-31 (CourtListener bulk snapshot). Verify against the primary source before relying.