Newsom nominates two to Court of Appeal, names 7 superior court judges

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced a slate of judicial appointments and nominations across California, including two picks to the 4th District Court of Appeal and seven new Superior Court judges spanning five counties.

At the appellate level, Newsom nominated Imperial County Superior Court Judge Eran Marie Bermudez to serve as an associate justice in the 4th District Court of Appeal, Division 1, and Orange County Superior Court Judge Deborah C. Servino to Division 3 of the same district. Both nominations are subject to confirmation by the Commission on Judicial Appointments.

Bermudez has served on the Imperial County bench since 2018 and previously worked as a compliance resolution officer at UC San Diego and as a partner at Garcia Hernandez Sawhney. She would fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Richard D. Huffman. Servino, a Superior Court judge since 2009, previously served more than a decade as a deputy attorney general. She would succeed Justice Thomas M. Goethals.

Newsom also appointed seven judges to trial courts across the state.

Judge Deborah C. Servino

In Los Angeles County, Erin Dixon, a deputy alternate public defender since 2008, and Gary Tokumori, a shareholder at Parker Milliken Clark O'Hara & Samuelian, were named to the Superior Court.

In Orange County, Commissioner Tiffany Poncy was elevated to the bench, bringing experience from county counsel offices in both Orange and Los Angeles counties. Michael Tener, a partner at Leonardini, Despotes, Giannecchini & Nims, was appointed in San Joaquin County, while San Diego County will add Miguel A. Peñalosa Jr., a former deputy alternate public defender.

Two appointments were made in Santa Clara County: Maren Clouse, chief deputy city attorney in San Jose, and Mary Procaccio-Flowers, a federal court law clerk and former clinical professor at Santa Clara University School of Law.