Judge (ret.)
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
Columbia Law School
Judicial Profiles
| Title | Court | Published |
|---|---|---|
| LA County Judge Terry Smerling says his arraignment calendar is like a collaborative mental health court. | Los Angeles County Superior Court | Jul. 29, 2022 |
| Sees a Lot of Success | Los Angeles County (Pasadena) | Feb. 8, 2021 |
| Terry Smerling | Los Angeles County Superior Court (Pasadena) | Aug. 1, 2012 |
Rulings
| Case | Category | Published |
|---|---|---|
|
People v. Newsom
affirmed
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Jan. 12, 2022 |
|
People v. Grandpierre
affirmed as modified
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Jul. 6, 2021 |
Verdicts & Settlements
| Case Name | Topic | Role | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confidential | Personal Injury (Non-Vehicular) | judge | Nov. 16, 2000 |
| Christopher Sebastian Lowe v. Roe Doctor | Personal Injury (Non-Vehicular) | judge | Dec. 4, 1999 |
| Confidential | Personal Injury (Non-Vehicular) | judge | Jul. 24, 1999 |
| Daniel Bohorquez, Jr., et al. v. Bryan Jick, M.D., et al. | Personal Injury | judge | Jun. 27, 1998 |
| Eena McDonald v. King's Villages, Ltd. | Real Property | judge | Mar. 14, 1998 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Douglas P. Brignole, et al. | Corporations | judge | Jan. 24, 1998 |
| Confidential | Construction | judge | Jun. 7, 1997 |
| Confidential | Personal Injury (Vehicular) | judge | May 3, 1997 |
| Confidential | Personal Injury (Vehicular) | judge | Apr. 19, 1997 |
| Mary Taylor v. Pasadena Unified School District | Employment Law | judge | Mar. 1, 1997 |
| Wu v. Golden Real Estate, et al. | Real Property | judge | Mar. 1, 1997 |
| Caitlin Korrison, a minor v. Joy Louise Smith | Personal Injury (Vehicular) | judge | Dec. 21, 1996 |
| Carlos Saenz v. Aaron Vincent Garcia | Personal Injury (Vehicular) | judge | Jun. 8, 1996 |
| Doe v. Roe, M.D., et al. | Personal Injury (Non-Vehicular) | judge | Jul. 1, 1995 |
| Frances S. Lopez v. Santa Anita Park, et al. | Personal Injury (Non-Vehicular) | judge | Jun. 11, 1994 |
| Vicki Burke v. Paul Novell | Personal Injury (Non-Vehicular) | judge | Jan. 29, 1994 |
| Title | Court | Published |
|---|---|---|
| LA County Judge Terry Smerling says his arraignment calendar is like a collaborative mental health court. | Los Angeles County Superior Court | Jul. 29, 2022 |
| Sees a Lot of Success | Los Angeles County (Pasadena) | Feb. 8, 2021 |
| Terry Smerling | Los Angeles County Superior Court (Pasadena) | Aug. 1, 2012 |
| Case | Category | Published |
|---|---|---|
|
People v. Newsom
affirmed
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Jan. 12, 2022 |
|
People v. Grandpierre
affirmed as modified
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Jul. 6, 2021 |
| Case Name | Topic | Role | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confidential | Personal Injury (Non-Vehicular) | judge | Nov. 16, 2000 |
| Christopher Sebastian Lowe v. Roe Doctor | Personal Injury (Non-Vehicular) | judge | Dec. 4, 1999 |
| Confidential | Personal Injury (Non-Vehicular) | judge | Jul. 24, 1999 |
| Daniel Bohorquez, Jr., et al. v. Bryan Jick, M.D., et al. | Personal Injury | judge | Jun. 27, 1998 |
| Eena McDonald v. King's Villages, Ltd. | Real Property | judge | Mar. 14, 1998 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Douglas P. Brignole, et al. | Corporations | judge | Jan. 24, 1998 |
| Confidential | Construction | judge | Jun. 7, 1997 |
| Confidential | Personal Injury (Vehicular) | judge | May 3, 1997 |
| Confidential | Personal Injury (Vehicular) | judge | Apr. 19, 1997 |
| Mary Taylor v. Pasadena Unified School District | Employment Law | judge | Mar. 1, 1997 |
| Wu v. Golden Real Estate, et al. | Real Property | judge | Mar. 1, 1997 |
| Caitlin Korrison, a minor v. Joy Louise Smith | Personal Injury (Vehicular) | judge | Dec. 21, 1996 |
| Carlos Saenz v. Aaron Vincent Garcia | Personal Injury (Vehicular) | judge | Jun. 8, 1996 |
| Doe v. Roe, M.D., et al. | Personal Injury (Non-Vehicular) | judge | Jul. 1, 1995 |
| Frances S. Lopez v. Santa Anita Park, et al. | Personal Injury (Non-Vehicular) | judge | Jun. 11, 1994 |
| Vicki Burke v. Paul Novell | Personal Injury (Non-Vehicular) | judge | Jan. 29, 1994 |