Gov. Newsom Announces Judicial Appointments

SACRAMENTO  — Gov. Gavin Newsom Dec. 7 announced his nomination of two Court of Appeal Justices: Judge Monique Langhorne Wilson as an Associate Justice of the First District Court of Appeal, Division One and Aimee Feinberg as an Associate Justice of the Third District Court of Appeal.

The Governor also announced his appointment of 18 Superior Court Judges, which include one in Contra Costa County; eight in Los Angeles County; one in Madera County; one in Marin County; three in Orange County; one in Riverside County; two in San Francisco County; and one in Santa Barbara County. 

LA County appointments include the following:

Los Angeles County Superior Court

Kelly Boyer, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Boyer has served as supervising attorney at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office since 2019 and has served in several roles there since 2008, including filing and trial attorney. She was an associate at Carrick and Conrad from 2006 to 2007. Boyer earned a Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern Law School. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Randy Rhodes. Boyer is registered without party preference.

Stephanie Dixon, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Dixon has served as a deputy public defender at the Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defender’s Office since 2002. She served as a deputy public defender at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office from 1997 to 2002 and in the Office of the San Diego County Public Defender’s Office from 1995 to 1997. Dixon earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Justice Audra Mori to the Court of Appeal. Dixon is a Democrat.

Christine Gonong, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Gonong has served as a commissioner at the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2022. She served as a member of the State Bar of California Board of Trustees from 2020 to 2022. Gonong was an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law from 2017 to 2022 and at the Los Angeles Valley College in 2017. She was Director of Law and Motion at Nguyen Lawyers ALC from 2016 to 2022 and served as a law clerk for the Honorable Jacqueline H. Nguyen at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2012 to 2014. Gonong earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. She fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Wesley Hsu to the federal bench. Gonong is a Democrat.

Anne Kiley, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Kiley has been a partner at Elkins Kalt Weintraub Reuben & Gartside LLP since 2016. She was a Partner at Kiley Dunlap LLP in 2016. Kiley was a partner at Trope and Trope LLP from 1999 to 2016 and was an associate there from 1990 to 1999. She was an associate at O’Melveny & Myers from 1989 to 1990. Kiley earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Dalila C. Lyons. She is a Democrat.
 

Natalie Nardecchia, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Nardecchia has been a senior trial attorney at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission since 2019 and has served in several roles there since 2018, including acting supervisory attorney and trial attorney. She was a senior attorney at Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund from 2017 to 2018. Nardecchia served as a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Solicitor from 2012 to 2017 and was a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles from 2011 to 2012. She was an associate at Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP from 2007 to 2010 and a legal fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California from 2006 to 2007. Nardecchia earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge James R. Dabney. Nardecchia is a Democrat.

Scott Nord, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Nord has served as a commissioner at the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2015. He was a sole practitioner from 1997 to 2015. Nord was an attorney at the Law Offices of Klass, Helman & Ross from 1996 to 1997. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Whittier Law School. Nord fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Yolanda Orozco. He is a Democrat.
 

Melanie Ochoa, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Ochoa has been director of police practices at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California since 2021, where she has been senior staff attorney since 2020 and was a staff attorney from 2016 to 2020. She was an associate at O’Melveny & Myers LLP from 2012 to 2016 and served as a law clerk for the Honorable Stephen Reinhardt at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2011 to 2012. Ochoa earned a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School and a Master of Arts degree in Sociology and Doctor of Philosophy degree in Sociology and Social Policy from Harvard University. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Nancy L. Newman. Ochoa is a Democrat.

Stephanie Santoro, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Santoro has served as a deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General since 2012. She was an associate at O’Melveny & Myers LLP from 2008 to 2011. Santoro earned a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School. She fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Justice Rashida Adams to the Court of Appeal. She is a Democrat.