A state trial court / Established 1961

Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara

A general-jurisdiction trial court in California.

The Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara 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.

190

Judges in history

Currently serving

Merit selection

Selection

12-yr

Term

Current judges

Judge	Since
Kenneth Paul Barnum	1998
Thang Nguyen Barrett	1998
David A. Cena	1998
Stephen V. R. Manley	1998
Paul R. Bernal	2000
Linda R. Clark	2000
Joseph Henry Huber	2000
Katherine Louise Lucero	2001
Erica Robin Yew	2001
Arthur Bocanegra	2003
Vincent Joseph Chiarello	2003
Carrie Ajimura Zepeda	2003
Franklin East Bondonno	2005
Griffin M. J. Bonini	2005
Carol Weinstein Overton	2005
Mark Hanson Pierce	2005
Peter Hunt Kirwan	2006
Shawna Marie Schwarz	2006
Mary E. Arand	2007
My-Le Jacqueline Duong	2007
William J. Monahan	2007
Jacqueline M. Arroyo	2008
Lincoln Michael Clark	2008
Beth Ann R. McGowen	2009
Daniel Toru Nishigaya	2009
Jesus Valencia Jr.	2009
Javier Alcala	2010
Julie A. Emede	2010
Andrea E. Flint	2010
Maureen Ann Folan	2010
JoAnne McCracken	2010
James Louis Stoelker	2010
Drew Charles Takaichi	2010
Ronald I. Toff	2010
Julia L. Alloggiamento	2011
Thomas Eilif Kuhnle	2011
Vanessa Ann Zecher	2011
Shelyna V. Brown	2012
James Earl Towery	2012
Helen Elizabeth Williams	2012
Paul Oliver Colin	2013
Sunil Ravindra Kulkarni	2013
Lori Elaine Pegg	2013
Cynthia A. Sevely	2013
Eric Scott Geffon	2014
Christopher Gayle Rudy	2014
Charles E. Wilson II	2014
Jose S. Franco	2015
Matthew S. Harris	2015
Roberta S. Hayashi	2015
Nona Louise Klippen	2015
Cynthia Chin Young Lie	2015
Stuart J. Scott	2015
Julianne Christina Sylva	2015
Nahal Iravani-Sani	2017
Elizabeth C. Peterson	2017
Charles F. Adams	2018
Frederick S. Chung	2018
Robert B. Hawk	2018
Cindy Seeley Hendrickson	2018
Evette Dionna Pennypacker	2018
Amber S. Rosen	2018
Panteha E. Saban	2018
Johnny Cepeda Gogo	2019
Audra Ibarra	2019
Nicole L. Isger	2019
Brooke Ann Blecher	2020

Former judges

Judge	Years
Joshua Weinstein	2014–2019
Allison Marston Danner	2012–2018
Mary J. Greenwood	2012–2018
Richard J., Jr. Loftus	2011–2012
Deborah A. Ryan	2010–2020
Theodore C. Zayner	2010–2019
Diane Ritchie	2009–2015
Michele McKay McCoy	2007–2020
Kurt E. Kumli	2006–2014
Hector E. Ramon	2006–2019
Teresa Guerrero-Daley	2005–2017
Derek Woodhouse	2005–2017
Ron M. Del Pozzo	2003–2016
Patricia M. Lucas	2003–2018
Philip H. Pennypacker	2003–2018
Aaron Persky	2003–2018
James P. Kleinberg	2002–2014
Patrick E. Tondreau	2002–2019
Susan Bernardini	2001–2015
Edward John Davila	2001–2011
Margaret Johnson	2001–2017
Randolf J. Rice	2001–2008
Dolores A. Carr	2000–2007
Sharon A. Chatman	2000–2020
Brian Walsh	2000–2014
Joyce Allegro	1999–2013
Robert Lawrence Ambrose	1998–2006
Robert A. Baines	1998–2005
Jerome E. Brock	1998–2012
Ralph E., Jr. Brogdon	1998–1999
Gilbert T. Brown	1998–2015
Andrea Y. Bryan	1998–2013
Neal Anthony Cabrinha	1998–2012
Thomas W. Cain	1998–2013
Paul C. Cole	1998–2009
Charles J. Cory	1998–2007
Ray E. Cunningham	1998–2008
William R. Danser	1998–2004
Virginia Mae Days	1998–2001
Alfonso Fernandez	1998–2011
Leon Parrish, Jr. Fox	1998–2003
Nazario (Tito) Gonzales	1998–2006
Charles W. Hayden	1998–2005
Jerald A. Infantino	1998–2004
Marliese G. Kim	1998–2003
Sandra Faithfull McKeith	1998–1999
Kevin E. McKenney	1998–2014
Jerome S. Nadler	1998–2013
John S. Pasco	1998–2000
Edwin B. II Pearce	1998–2001
Rise Jones Pichon	1998–2019
Carl Randall Schneider	1998–2008
Kenneth L. Shapero	1998–2012
Douglas K. Southard	1998–2011
Rodney J. Stafford	1998–2009
Jean High Wetenkamp	1998–2009
Mary Ann Grilli	1997–2017
Eugene Michael Hyman	1997–2011
Rene Navarro	1995–2014
Nancy Hoffman	1991–2000
John F. Herlihy	1990–2009
Mary Jo Levinger	1990–2010
Ronald T. Lisk	1990–2007
Diane Northway	1990–2013
Gregory H. Ward	1990–2010
John T. Ball	1989–2001
James H. Chang	1989–2003
Donald L. Clark	1989–1999
LaDoris Hazzard Cordell	1989–2001
Alden E. Danner	1989–2009
Thomas C. Edwards	1989–2009
Catherine A. Gallagher	1989–2009
William F. Martin	1989–2006
Hugh F. III Mullin	1989–2006
Melinda Stewart	1989–2000
Ronald M. Whyte	1989–1992
Patricia Bamattre-Manoukian	1988–1989
James Ware	1988–1990
Franklin Daniel Elia	1986–1988
Jeremy D. Fogel	1986–1998
Thomas P. Hansen	1986–2006
Richard C. Turrone	1986–2004
Jack Komar	1985–2009
James Garfield Stewart	1985–1999
Leslie C. Nichols	1984–2009
Edgar P. Taylor	1984–1990
Joseph F., Jr. Biafore	1983–2003
William F., Jr. Brown	1983–1995
Mark E., Jr. Thomas	1983–1991
Robert P. Ahern	1982–1999
Robert Michael Foley	1982–2003
R. Donald Chapman	1981–1988
Daniel E. Creed	1981–2001
Paul R. Teilh	1981–1986
Read Ambler	1980–1999
George W. Bonney	1980–1990
William J., Jr. Harris	1980–1985
Thomas Charles Hastings	1980–1999
John , Jr. Schatz	1979–1992
Lawrence F. Terry	1979–1999
Frank Cliff	1978–2002
John P. Flaherty	1977–1998
Charles Gordon	1977–1996
David W. Leahy	1977–1996
Peter G. Stone	1977–1997
Taketsugu Takei	1976–1996
Sidney Feinberg	1975–1977
James Skelly Wright	1975–1988
Marilyn Pestarino Zecher	1975–1994
William J. Fernandez	1974–1989
James , Jr. Duvaras	1972–1983
J. Barton Phelps	1972–1985
John F. Kennedy	1969–1985
Richard W. Rhodes	1968–1983
Bruce F. Allen	1967–1985
John E. Longinotti	1967–1983
John S. McInerny	1966–1991
Vincent O. Bruno	1964–1982
George H. Barnett	1963–1981
Stanley R. Evans	1963–1984
Peter Anello	1961–1981
Albert F. DeMarco	1961–1981
Homer B. Thompson	1961–1988

How a judge reaches this court. Judges of the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara 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).