Magazine Archive
Presiding Judge Review
By the time you read this article, I will have nearly completed my two-year term as Presiding Judge (PJ). What a whirlwind it has been. Soon I will be heading back to a civil assignment with only memories of the challenges and opportunities presented. I am most proud of the improvements we instituted in the...
Read ArticleThe Changing of the Guard
Our Presiding Judge Jill Fannin has been a stellar captain, guiding our court through what we hope will be the end of an eight-year fiscal storm. Judge Fannin not only managed with less but somehow began the long overdue start to an electronic case management system (CMS) which starts this year in Traffic, and I...
Read ArticleCivil Division Update
Our most notable development in the Civil Division this year has been the unfortunate (for us!) retirement of Judge Barry Goode this May. Judge Goode presided over the Court’s Complex Litigation Department since 2011 (with a two-year “respite” in 2013 and 2014 to serve as Presiding Judge of the court). He also was an admired...
Read ArticleCriminal Courts 2018
“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you might find, you get what you need.” Rolling Stones, Let It Bleed, 1969 We in the Martinez Criminal Court of Contra Costa County have had our fair share this year of getting what we want, as well as trying to get what...
Read ArticleFamily Law Perspective
The year 2018 has been one of change in the Family Law Division. Change in the Bench officers. Change in the Local Rules of Court. Change in courthouses. And, a seismic shift in how child custody mediation is conducted. We welcomed three judges to Family Law this year—Judges Joni Hiramoto, John Laettner, and Danielle Douglas....
Read ArticleA Year of Changes in Juvenile
The Juvenile bench has settled in after the move from Martinez to the Walnut Creek Courthouse. It has been a year since the move, and court operations in Walnut Creek seem to be running smoothly thanks to the patience of and assistance from our justice partners (e.g., Children and Family Services, Probation, the Public Defender’s...
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