On May 2, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the appointment of Joni I. Sinclair to a judgeship in San Bernardino Superior Court.
According to a release from the court, San Bernardino Superior has an overall need of 43 additional judicial officers – the highest judicial need in California.
Sinclair fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Stephen G. Saleson.
History
According to a statement from Newsom’s office, Sinclair earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Howard University School of Law.
Sinclair has been serving as a commissioner at the Riverside County Superior Court since 2021. She served as a deputy public defender with the San Bernardino County Public Defender’s office from 2015 to 2021.
She was a sole practitioner from 2014 to 2015 and a contract juvenile dependency attorney at the Juvenile Defense Panel from 2001 to 2014.
Sinclair served as a deputy public defender with the Riverside County Public Defender’s office from 1995 to 2000 and was legal editor for Butterworth Legal Publishers from 1992 to 1995.
Reaction
“We are very pleased with the Governor’s appointment of Judge Sinclair to our Court and look forward to working with her,” said San Bernardino Superior Presiding Judge R. Glenn Yabuno in a statement. “She will truly be an asset to our bench.”
