A state trial court / Established 1953

Superior Court of California, County of Orange

A general-jurisdiction trial court in California.

The Superior Court of California, County of Orange is a general-jurisdiction state trial court in California, where most civil and criminal cases are first heard. Its judges are chosen by gubernatorial appointment from a nominating commission, followed by retention elections, the method California uses for its judges. This page lists the judges on record for this court from our public-records source, current and former; trial-court coverage is partial.

273
Judges in history
115
Currently serving
Merit selection
Selection
12-yr
Term
Current judges
JudgeSince
John L., Jr. Flynn1972
James Edward Rogan1994
Corey Scott Cramin1997
Matthew S. Anderson1998
Carlton P. Biggs1998
Brett George London1998
Michael Sterling McCartin1998
Gregg Leonard Prickett1998
Roger Brown Robbins1998
Patrick Henry Donahue2000
Stephanie H. George2000
Derek Guy Johnson2000
Michael Marc Kelly2000
Gary Scott Paer2000
John Dorsey Conley2001
James J. Di Cesare2001
Sheila B. Fell2001
Richard M. King2001
Robert James Moss2002
Claudia Jane Silbar2002
John S. Adams2003
John C. Gastelum2003
Douglas Jun Hatchimonji2003
David Andrew Hoffer2003
Lance Priest Jensen2003
Linda Stockfish Marks2003
Kimberly Kay Menninger2003
Mark Stanton Millard2003
Karen Linnea Robinson2003
Salvador Sarmiento2003
Steven D. Bromberg2005
Randall J. Sherman2005
Sheila Fairchild Hanson2006
Jacki C. Brown2008
Jonathan Stuart Fish2008
Donald Fitzgerald Gaffney2008
Kim Robertine Hubbard2008
Gregory W. Jones2008
Nicholas Six Thompson2008
James Louis Waltz2008
David Lawrence Belz2009
Debra Dee Carrillo2009
Michael J. Cassidy2009
Craig Loma Griffin2009
Maria Daghlian Hernandez2009
Cheryl Lynn Leininger2009
Walter Palmer Schwarm2009
Deborah Chuang Servino2009
William David Claster2010
Beatriz Maria Garcia Gordon2010
Theodore Randolph Howard2010
Lon Franklin Hurwitz2010
Dennis J. Keough2010
Richard Y. Lee2010
Michael Arnold Leversen2010
Joe Teel Perez2010
Cheri Thi Pham2010
Glenn Robert Salter2010
Daphne Grace Sykes Scott2010
Peter John Wilson2010
Nick Alex Dourbetas2011
Andre Manssourian2011
Scott Acheson Steiner2011
Julian W. Bailey Jr.2012
Lewis W. Clapp2012
James Lawrence Crandall2012
Terri Kay Flynn-Peister2012
Elizabeth Guerrero Macias2012
Nathan Ray Scott2012
Thomas A. Glazier2013
Martha K. Gooding2013
Sherri Louise Honer2013
Robert Alan Knox2013
Joanne Motoike2013
Gassia Apkarian2014
Craig E. Arthur2014
Thomas Anthony Delaney2014
Gary Leigh Moorhead2014
Fred Wallace Slaughter2014
Nancy Ellen Zeltzer2014
Jeffrey Malcolm Ferguson2015
Kevin James Haskins2015
Jeannie M. Joseph2015
Mary E. Kreber Varipapa2015
Melissa R. McCormick2015
Frank Ospino2015
Julie Ann Palafox2015
Kathleen Elna Roberts2015
John Randolph Zitny2015
Layne Hamilton Melzer2016
Richard Edward Pacheco2016
Gary Michael Pohlson2016
Scott Bradley Cooper2017
Andre De La Cruz2017
Jeremy David Dolnick2017
Bradley Scott Erdosi2017
Carol Lynn Henson2017
Katherine E. Lewis2017
Michael F. Murray2017
Michael J. Strickroth2017
Antony Christopher Ufland2017
Megan Louise Wagner2017
Lawrence Perry Yellin2017
H. Shaina Colover2018
Cynthia M. Herrera2018
David Jay Hesseltine2018
Kimberly Anne Knill2018
Sandy Nunes Leal2018
Thomas Sean McConville2018
Michael E. Perez2018
Sheila Olivarez Recio2018
Maurice Sanchez2018
Nhan T. Vu2018
Robert Gerard Jr.2020
Thomas J. Lo2020
Former judges
JudgeYears
Timothy J. Stafford2013–2018
Kim Garlin Dunning2009–2010
Robert C. Gannon2008–2019
Erick L. Larsh2005–2019
Thomas Michael Goethals2003–2018
Kelly MacEachern2003–2008
Glenda Sanders2003–2015
Frederick P. Aguirre2002–2017
Frederick Paul Horn2002–2005
Carolyn Kirkwood2002–2010
Franz E. Miller2002–2019
Michael J. Naughton2002–2011
Peter J. Polos2002–2010
Josephine S. Tucker2002–2010
Cormac J. Carney2001–2003
Daniel Barrett McNerney2001–2016
Kirk H. Nakamura2001–2020
Richard David Fybel2000–2002
Gregory Muñoz2000–2014
John Nho Trong Nguyen2000–2013
James Patrick Marion1999–2011
Margaret R. Anderson1998–2011
Andrew P. Banks1998–2017
J. Michael Beecher1998–2003
Richard E. Behn1998–2008
Thomas James Borris1998–2017
Daniel T. Brice1998–2003
James M. Brooks1998–2008
Marjorie Laird Carter1998–2014
Donna L. Crandall1998–2011
William D. Evans1998–2009
Robert H. Gallivan1998–2006
Geoffrey T. Glass1998–2019
Martin , Jr. Hairabedian1998–2001
W. Michael Hayes1998–2017
William P. Hopkins1998–1999
Pamela Lee Iles1998–2008
Robert H. Keefe1998–2000
Ronald P. Kreber1998–2014
Caryl A. Lee1998–2015
Wendy Lindley1998–2014
Donald S. Macintyre1998–2003
Glenn A. Mahler1998–2008
Charles Margines1998–2018
John W. McOwen1998–2001
Linda Lancet Miller1998–2015
Jamoa Athena Moberly1998–2017
Frances Munoz1998–2001
Steven L. Perk1998–2017
Craig E. Robison1998–2013
Luis A. Rodriguez1998–2014
Mary Fingal Schulte1998–2017
Susanne S. Shaw1998–2006
Clay M. Smith1998–2017
Richard W., Jr. Stanford1998–2012
James A. Stotler1998–2016
Elaine Streger1998–2017
Christopher W. Strople1998–2003
David A. Thompson1998–2012
Claude E. Whitney1998–2001
Nancy A. Pollard1997–2012
Carla M. Singer1997–2017
Gary P. Ryan1995–2000
Ronald Lawrence Bauer1991–2020
Frank F. Fasel1990–2011
Francisco F. Firmat1990–2013
Cecil Hicks1990–1999
Nancy Wieben Stock1990–2014
Robert R. Thomas1990–2001
David C. Velasquez1990–2011
John T. Watson1990–2009
Randell L. Wilkinson1990–2010
Jonathan H. Cannon1989–2007
Dennis S. Choate1989–2008
William R. Froeberg1989–2014
James P. Gray1989–2009
Robert Byron Hutson1989–2009
Kazuharu Makino1989–2011
Eileen C. Moore1989–2000
Floyd H. Schenk1989–1997
Marvin G. Weeks1989–1996
Hugh Michael Brenner1988–2007
Robert D. Monarch1988–2002
Thomas N., Sr. Thrasher1988–2004
Raymond F. Vincent1988–1988
William Wiley Bedsworth Jr.1987–1997
Richard O., Sr. Frazee1987–2005
C. Robert Jameson1987–2005
Samuel B., Jr. Taylor1987–1990
Richard L. Weatherspoon1987–2002
David Hays Brickner1986–2003
William Thomas McDonald Sr.1986–2001
Kathleen Elizabeth O'Leary1986–2000
Manuel Angelo Ramirez1986–1990
Gary L. Taylor1986–1990
Tully H. Seymour1985–2002
Ragnar R. Engebretsen1984–1992
Jean Marie H. Rheinheimer1984–1997
John J. Ryan1984–2001
Donald E. Smallwood1984–1997
John Lewis Smith Jr.1984–1989
Richard W. Luesebrink1983–1998
Richard N., Jr. Parslow1983–1994
Robert J. Polis1983–1999
Mark P. Robinson1983–1984
James Randal Ross1983–1995
William R. Sheffield1983–1984
James J., Sr. Alfano1982–1997
David O. Carter1982–1999
James R. II Franks1982–1989
Linda Hodge McLaughlin1982–1992
Judith M. Ryan1982–1989
John C. Woolley1982–2003
Myron S. Brown1981–1999
James W. Cook1981–1985
Phillip E. Cox1981–1996
Robert R. Fitzgerald1981–1997
Jack K. Mandel1981–2000
Ronald Eugene Owen1981–2001
Phillip A. Petty1981–1986
James L. Smith1981–1997
Luis A. Cardenas1980–1996
James A. Jackman1980–2000
Francisco P. Briseño1979–2014
Leonard H. McBride1979–1991
Theodore E. Millard1979–1999
Donald A. McCartin1978–1993
Alicemarie Huber Stotler1978–1983
Robert C. Todd1978–1993
Mason L. Fenton1977–1981
Leonard Goldstein1977–1996
Richard D. Hamilton1977–1979
William W. Thomson1977–1987
Richard J. Beacom1976–1993
Robert H. Green1976–1987
Betty Lou Lamoreaux1976–1989
Philip Edgar, Jr. Schwab1976–1988
James O. Perez1975–1987
Jerrold S. Oliver1974–1989
Everett W. Dickey1973–1998
Lloyd E., Jr. Blanpied1972–1989
Walter W. Charamza1972–1984
Mark A. Soden1972–1986
Frank Domenichini1971–1990
Kenneth E. Lae1971–1984
James K. Turner1971–1989
J. Edgar T. II Rutter1970–1984
Robert A. Banyard1969–1984
Claude M. Owens1967–1981
James F. Judge1966–1986
H. Walter Steiner1966–1980
Byron K. McMillan1965–1984
Bruce W. Sumner1965–1984
William L. Murray1963–1984
William S. Lee1962–1983
Lester Van Tatenhove1961–1981
Robert P. Kneeland1957–1980
John Shea1953–1966

How a judge reaches this court. Judges of the Superior Court of California, County of Orange are appointed by the governor to 12-year terms and then face yes-or-no retention elections. Selection methods vary by jurisdiction and have changed over time; this page reflects the court’s current method (source: National Center for State Courts). Open any judge to see their tenure and whom they succeeded.

Source: CourtListener / Free Law Project (bulk data); selection method from the National Center for State Courts. Data last verified 2026-06-30. Verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).