Los Angeles County Superior Court
Career Highlights: Sworn in as a Los Angeles county Superior court judge, Jan. 2, 1989, retired January 2025; elected June 1988; judge, Municipal Court for the Los Angeles Judicial District, 1982-89; assistant legal director, staff attorney, ACLU, 1977-82; staff attorney, Greater Watts Justice Center, 1973-77; directing attorney, staff attorney, Reginald Heber community law fellow, Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach, 1970-73; intern, U.S. State Department legal adviser's office, 1969
Law School: Columbia Law School
Career Highlights: Sworn in as a Los Angeles county Superior court judge, Jan. 2, 1989, retired January 2025; elected June 1988; judge, Municipal Court for the Los Angeles Judicial District, 1982-89; assistant legal director, staff attorney, ACLU, 1977-82; staff attorney, Greater Watts Justice Center, 1973-77; directing attorney, staff attorney, Reginald Heber community law fellow, Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach, 1970-73; intern, U.S. State Department legal adviser's office, 1969
Law School: Columbia Law School
PASADENA — Judge Terry L. Smerling has a backlog of petitions in the corner of his office. They all ask for updated rulings on many of his older criminal cases after a law passed eliminating the felony murder rule that brought lengthy sentences for those who aid or abet murderers.
“A couple years ago the Legislature passed a law changing the law on murder, and making it that aiders and abettors are no longer culpable for murde... (continued)
