Judge
Family Law IC
San Diego County Superior Court
East County Division
Office of the San Diego City Attorney
Department/Division:
8
250 E Main St
El Cajon , CA 92020
(619) 456-4008
Appointed San Diego County Superior Court judge by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Oct. 18, 2023; lead deputy city attorney, deputy city attorney, San Diego City Attorney's Office, 2004-23; assistant public defender, Alaska Public Defender Agency, 2000-02
California Western School of Law, 2000
Judicial Profiles
| Title | Court | Published |
|---|---|---|
| Family court Judge Danna Nicholas draws on experience as a public defender | San Diego County Superior Court | Oct. 27, 2026 |
Rulings
| Case | Category | Published |
|---|---|---|
|
People v. The North River Ins. Co.
affirmed
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Apr. 28, 2026 |
Verdicts & Settlements
| Case Name | Topic | Role | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bankers Standard Insurance Company as subrogee of Michael Stolper v. City of San Diego | Personal Injury | Defendant | Nov. 5, 2021 |
| Alex Montoya; Rex Shirley; Philip Pressel; and Aaron Gresson, individually, and on behalf of all others similarly situated v. City of San Diego; Bird Rides Inc. dba Bird; Neutron Holdings Inc. dba Lime; Wheels Labs Inc.; Uber Technologies Inc. dba Jump; Lyft Inc.; Razor USA LLC and Does 1-100 | Civil Rights | Defendant | Oct. 16, 2020 |
| Donna Nuss-Rick v. City of San Diego, et al. | Real Property | Defendant | Jan. 31, 2020 |
| Title | Court | Published |
|---|---|---|
| Family court Judge Danna Nicholas draws on experience as a public defender | San Diego County Superior Court | Oct. 27, 2026 |
| Case | Category | Published |
|---|---|---|
|
People v. The North River Ins. Co.
affirmed
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Apr. 28, 2026 |
| Case Name | Topic | Role | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bankers Standard Insurance Company as subrogee of Michael Stolper v. City of San Diego | Personal Injury | Defendant | Nov. 5, 2021 |
| Alex Montoya; Rex Shirley; Philip Pressel; and Aaron Gresson, individually, and on behalf of all others similarly situated v. City of San Diego; Bird Rides Inc. dba Bird; Neutron Holdings Inc. dba Lime; Wheels Labs Inc.; Uber Technologies Inc. dba Jump; Lyft Inc.; Razor USA LLC and Does 1-100 | Civil Rights | Defendant | Oct. 16, 2020 |
| Donna Nuss-Rick v. City of San Diego, et al. | Real Property | Defendant | Jan. 31, 2020 |