Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California's rural counties.
Raymonn DeJesus, of Roseville, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Placer County Superior Court. DeJesus has served as an Administrative Law Judge at the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board since 2020. He served as a Deputy District Attorney at the Placer County District Attorney’s Office from 2016 to 2020 and at the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office from 2015 to 2016. DeJesus served as a Deputy District Attorney at the Nevada County District Attorney’s Office from 2010 to 2015. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Golden Gate University School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Charles Wachob. The compensation for this position is $229,125. DeJesus is registered without party preference.
Michael Domenzain, of Imperial, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Imperial County Superior Court. Domenzain has served as a Referee at the Imperial County Superior Court since 2018. He served as a Deputy District Attorney at the Imperial County District Attorney’s Office from 2009 to 2018 and was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Phoenix from 2014 to 2020. Domenzain earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Juan Ulloa. The compensation for this position is $229,125. Domenzain is a Democrat.
Amelia Yana Garcia Gonzalez, of Oakland, will serve as California’s next Secretary for Environmental Protection after Secretary Jared Blumenfeld steps down in September. Garcia Gonzalez has served as Special Assistant Attorney General in the California Attorney General’s Office since 2021. She was Deputy Secretary for Environmental Justice, Tribal Affairs and Border Relations at the California Environmental Protection Agency from 2019 to 2021, where she was Assistant Secretary for Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs from 2017 to 2019. Garcia Gonzalez was an Attorney at Earthjustice from 2015 to 2017, and at Communities for a Better Environment from 2013 to 2015. She was a Legal Research Attorney at the San Francisco County Superior Court from 2012 to 2013, and a post-graduate Law Clerk at Kazan, McClain, Lyons, Greenwood and Harley, A Professional Law Corporation from 2011 to 2012. Garcia Gonzalez earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Northeastern University School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $232,858. Garcia Gonzalez is a Democrat.
Laura Passaglia, of Santa Rosa, has been appointed to serve in an interim appointment as a Judge in the Sonoma County Superior Court. Passaglia has served as a Commissioner at the Sonoma County Superior Court since 2021. She served as a Deputy District Attorney at the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office from 2017 to 2021. She served as a Deputy District Attorney at the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office from 2007 to 2017. Passaglia earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law. She will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Gary Nadler effective September 13, 2022. The Governor’s appointment allows her to immediately assume the position she was otherwise elected to begin in January 2023. The compensation for this position is $229,125. Passaglia is a Democrat.
Anita Starchman Bryant, of Mariposa, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Mariposa County Superior Court. Bryant has been a Sole Practitioner since 2018. She was a Partner at Starchman & Bryant, Attorneys at Law from 2005 to 2018. Bryant was an Associate at Downey Brand LLP from 2001 to 2004. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. Bryant fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge F. Dana Walton. The compensation for this position is $229,125. Bryant is a Democrat.