California Judicial Council

Chief Justice Names Four to Judicial Council

      SAN FRANCISCO (CN) -- Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye appointed four new members to the governing council for California's 58 trial courts Wednesday, spreading the appointments between Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco and Sacramento. "I'm still looking at ways to broaden the membership or change the appointment process," said the chief justice.
      All four have held positions on committees within the Judicial Council, the body that decides some policy issues and advises the chief justice. She said their past work demonstrates experience with the issues facing the judiciary and "the ability to work with others."
      The chief justice, appointed late last year, has pledged to chart her own path and says she wishes she had additional slots to fill on the governing council. "I wish I had more," said the chief justice in an interview.
     Justice Judith Meisels Ashmann-Gerst from the Second Appellate District, based in Los Angeles, will succeed Justice Richard Huffman, a controversial figure tied to the previous chief justice. Ashmann-Gerst has been on the Court Technology Advisory Committee since 2008.
     Judge Teri Jackson of San Francisco was also appointed to the council, having been a member of the council's internal Rules and Projects Committee, which standardizes rules for the trial courts. She also sits on Cantil-Sakauye's recently formed oversight committee for a statewide computer project, which according to the chief justice, is supposed to ensure that the project meets its deadlines and budget.
     Santa Clara's head clerk, David Yamasaki, will be joining Jackson on the council. He has held a position on the council's Court Executives Advisory Committee since 2008. He moved to Santa Clara from San Diego where the court has endorsed a highly controversial and expensive IT project to keep track of cases. 
     Judge David De Alba of Sacramento will also fill a non-voting, advisory position on the council. Other judges on his court have been outspoken in their criticism of the AOC's management of the IT project that is estimated to cost almost $2 billion while also requiring substantially more labor from short-staffed trial courts.

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