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Three new judges in Kern County
(Bakersfield Californian, The (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) May 17--After months of suffering overcrowded courtrooms and overburdened court calendars, Kern County Superior Court is getting three new judges.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday announced the appointments of two prominent local attorneys and one court commissioner to the local bench.
Private attorney Michael E. Dellostritto, county prosecutor John S. Somers and court commissioner Louie L. Vega were elevated to judgeships in Kern County Superior Court.
The annual salary for each position is $178,789.
"I think the governor has done an excellent job with these appointments," said retired Judge Frank Hoover, one of many judicial officers who have recently left the bench.
"To be an independent judge," Hoover said, "to be a judge that follows the law and not some Rotary Club version of what that means, that takes a certain breed of cat -- but that's exactly what we need."
MICHAEL E. DELLOSTRITTO
Dellostritto, 59, of Bakersfield, has run his own private law practice since 1980, according to the governor's office. From 1978 to 1980, he was an associate attorney in the Law Offices of Richard Long.
The veteran defense attorney has been involved in several high-profile cases over the years, including the murder trial of Bruce Sons.
Dellostritto earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Pepperdine University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Fresno. He is a Democrat.
JOHN S. SOMERS
Somers, 49, of Bakersfield, has worked for the Kern County District Attorney's Office since 1985 and currently holds the position of supervising deputy district attorney.
Like Dellostritto, Somers has worked some of Kern County's most notorious cases, including the successful murder prosecution of Pat Dunn, a trial that was later rehashed and dissected in Edward Humes' book "Mean Justice."
Upon learning of Somers' appointment Friday, Kern County District Attorney Ed Jagels called the veteran prosecutor "one of the finest legal minds that has ever been employed by this office."
Somers earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Stanford Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Knox College. He is a Republican.
LOUIE L. VEGA
Vega, 59, of Bakersfield, has served as a commissioner for the Kern County Superior Court since 1990. He operated his own law office from 1988 to 1990; an associate with Young Wooldridge from 1986 to 1988; and an associate with Weiser Kane from 1983 to 1985.
In addition, Vega served in the Kern County Public Defender's Office from 1985 to 1986.
Vega earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Bakersfield. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge James Stuart. Vega is a Democrat.
WEARING THE ROBE
Terry McNally, the chief administrator of Superior Court, said it's ultimately up to the appointees to decide when they start hearing cases.
Busy attorneys like Dellostritto and Somers often have pending caseloads they must get through or turn over to a colleague before they can be sworn in as judge, McNally said.
In past experience, that can take 30 to 60 days, he said.
"All I can say is, the happiest person in Kern County is Presiding Judge Jerold Turner," McNally quipped.
As presiding judge, Turner has the unenviable job of assigning too few judges to a growing number of cases. No one would blame him if he chose to pop the cork on a bottle champagne Friday night.
McNally isn't sure yet whether Vega's position as court commissioner will remain to be filled by a new commissioner. Court commissioners are like judges, but they typically may hear a much narrower range of cases.
There's a chance that the vacant commissioner position could be elevated to a judgeship, which could be both good and bad, McNally said. Good because a new judgeship would bring even more value and flexibility to the position; bad because the court would have to wait for an appointment by the governor, which could be delayed indefinitely.
Overall, there was joy in the legal community Friday.
"You have to give the governor some credit for making some excellent appointments to the bench," said Kern County Public Defender Mark Arnold. "All three are bright, have excellent work habits and should bring some objectivity and fairness to the bench."
Jagels said all three appointees are knowledgeable in the law, though he noted that Vega is an unknown quantity, because he hasn't been active in criminal cases for some time.
And whenever a defense attorney is elevated to a judgeship, Jagels said, his concern is: will it affect sentencing?
Arnold suggested that might not be a bad thing.
"I'm not sure my friends from the prosecutor's office will be happy with these appointments," he said. "They may have been spoiled in the past."
To see more of The Bakersfield Californian, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.bakersfield.com.
Copyright (c) 2008, The Bakersfield Californian
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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