San Diego, CA
Newsom appoints 4 new judges to San Diego Superior Court bench
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday the appointment of four new judges to fill vacancies on the San Diego Superior Court bench.
Newsom appointed attorneys Jami L. Ferrara and Rachel L. Jensen, Intertribal Court Chief Judge Devon L. Lomayesva and San Diego court Commissioner Catherine A. Richardson to fill empty slots left by retiring judges, the governor’s office announced Friday.
The swearing-in dates for three judges have not yet been determined but are planned to occur in the coming weeks, court officials said. Ferrara’s date is set for Oct. 30.
Ferrara has been a sole practitioner since 2001. After graduating from George Mason University Law School, she went on to become a trial attorney at Federal Defenders of San Diego Inc. from 1997 to 2000.
She is filling the vacancy of Judge John S. Meyer.
Jensen earned her juris doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 2000. She then became an associate at Morrison & Foerster LLP for a year before moving on to being a law clerk for Judge Warren J. Ferguson in the U.S. 9th Court of Appeals from 2001 to 2002.
Jensen left the appeals court in 2002 to receive a clerkship in the office of the United Nations Prosecutor’s International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 2002 and again for the criminal tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in 2003.
In 2003, she became an associate at Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP in San Diego. She was named partner in 2008.
Jensen is replacing Judge David Rubin.
Lomayesva comes to the bench after serving as the chief judge at the Intertribal Court of Southern California while also working as a private practitioner. She was a pro tem judge at the intertribal court from 2015 to 2016 and a tribal attorney for the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians from 2013 to 2014.
Before becoming a judge, Lomayesva graduated from California Western Law School and went on to work as a staff attorney at the California Indian Lands Office from 2002 to 2003, eventually becoming directing attorney.
She was executive director at California Indian Legal Services from 2007 to 2012 and in-house counsel for the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel from 2004 to 2007. She fills the vacancy left by Judge Harry Powazek.
Richardson graduated from the University of San Diego School of Law and became a San Diego deputy city attorney from 1990 to 1997. She then became an associate at Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire in 1998 and was partner at the firm between 1997 to 2005.
After four years of being a sole practitioner, a two-year stint back in the city attorney’s office, and another year back in private practice, she served as a senior chief deputy at the city attorney’s office from 2014 to 2024. She has been a commissioner at the San Diego Superior Court since earlier this year.
Richardson is replacing Judge Carlos O. Amour.
All four judges are registered Democrats. Annual compensation for judges in California is $238,479.
Gloria relents on December Nights, some community cuts in budget revise, but arts funds still on chopping block
by City News Service | Times of San Diego
Some library and recreation center hours and December Nights support were restored in Mayor Todd Gloria’s revised Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Wednesday, but city funding for the arts could still be gutted.
Gloria was joined by civic leaders Wednesday morning to announce changes to his initial proposed budget, released last month. He added “targeted protections” of certain neighborhood priorities and maintained police and fire service levels while arriving at a balanced budget.
Proposed additions include protecting rec center and library hours in Council Districts 4, 8 and 9, represented by Henry L. Foster III, Vivian Moreno and Sean Elo-Rivera, respectively.
Read more
The Learning Curve: He’s San Diego Unified’s Next Trustee – No Race Needed
By Jakob McWhinney | Voice of San Diego
The primary is still nearly a month away. The general election is even further out. Still, it’s already clear that Hayden Gore will be San Diego Unified’s next trustee. That’s because he’s running unopposed to fill the seat left open by current Trustee Cody Petterson, who opted not to run for re-election.
Though he’s a political newcomer, Gore was the early choice of San Diego Unified’s union. In fact, he was recruited by the former president of the San Diego Education Association to run for the seat.
It’s not hard to see why. He’s an avowed progressive and a longtime educator who led the then-newly formed union at High Tech High to its first contract. Exactly the kind of resume that would have SDEA champing at the bit.
Read More
Join Us Friday, July 17, 2026 for the 11th Annual USD School of Law – RJS LAW Tax Institute
By RJS Law
The Institute is the premier annual tax event in San Diego. The region’s top tax attorneys, enrolled agents (EAs), certified public accountants (CPAs), law and business school professors will discuss topics including government loan relief and abuses, challenges in cross-border transactions, and practical and realistic solutions in trust, estate planning, and tax matters.
DATE AND TIME
Friday, July 17, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, Theatre
5555 Marian Way, San Diego, CA 92110
EVENT STATUS
Open to the Public
Read More
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – For many families, libraries are a safe space for kids after school and a place to study.
After community outcry, the city is scaling down some of its proposed budget cuts, bringing the original $6.3 million in cuts to libraries down to $4.8 million.
Patrick Stewart, CEO of Library Foundation SD, said the change is a step in the right direction.
“We are very pleased. I think this moves the needle in the right direction.”
Mayor Gloria’s revised budget proposal restores funding focused on youth-centered programs, which includes bringing back library hours in Council Districts 4, 8, and 9 — those in underserved communities.
“This is City Heights and San Isidro, Barrio Logan, and Oak Park, and traditionally, those are smaller branches. And the kids and the families in those communities frankly, they use their library very differently than in a lot of other communities, and it’s a lifeline to them,” said Stewart.
The City Heights library is among those included in the mayor’s revised budget to restore funding. While library officials say this is a good first step, there is still concern about long-term financial challenges.
In order to voice concerns about how deep the cuts go, the Library Foundation has created a way for supporters to express that through postcards. Thousands of cards have been mailed directly to Mayor Gloria and councilmembers.
Stewart said the effort is making an impact.
“They’re seeing that this is hundreds and hundreds of people that are taking this very seriously, so it helps them to know immediately what their community feels like when it comes to these proposed cuts,” he added.
The restored funding would also keep Monday hours at Carmel Valley Library and protect the North Clairemont Library branch from closure.
Library officials remain optimistic as the revised budget heads back to the City Council.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
A man suspected of a fatal shooting in Barrio Logan was arrested Tuesday.
Benito Garcia Jr., 31, was arrested in the 3600 block of Grand Avenue in San Marcos at about 1 p.m. Tuesday for allegedly gunning down 64-year-old Raul Torres near the east end of the Coronado Bridge, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Patrol officers responding to an anonymous report of a shooting found the mortally wounded victim on a sidewalk in the 2000 block of National Avenue, near Chicano Park, shortly after 10 p.m. last Tuesday. Torres died at the scene, SDPD Lt. Lou Maggi said.
Police have not disclosed a suspected motive for the slaying.
Garcia was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of first- degree murder. He was being held without bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
-
New Jersey4 minutes agoNew Jersey swim team left without pool after Wayne Community Center abruptly ends agreement
-
New Mexico10 minutes agoThe most popular baby names in New Mexico for 2025
-
North Carolina16 minutes agoBusinesses worry of potential impacts as Marion tightens water restrictions amid drought
-
North Dakota22 minutes agoHighway Patrol: Blowing dirt cuts visibility in northwest North Dakota
-
Ohio28 minutes agoWarren man sentenced for Niles police chase
-
Oklahoma34 minutes agoOklahoma judge allows former death row prisoner to be released on bond while awaiting retrial
-
Oregon40 minutes agoPeaceHealth says Oregon CEO Jim McGovern out, Heather Wall to continue as interim leader
-
Pennsylvania46 minutes agoMan arrested for allegedly posting hit list, threatening more than a dozen Pennsylvania lawmakers