Gov. Gavin Newsom Newsom appointed three lawyers, two commissioners and two prosecutors to judgeships across the Inland Empire.
San Bernardino Superior
County prosecutor Christian Towns will join San Bernardino Superior Court as a judge after Newsom’s Aug. 9 appointment.
Towns has worked at the San Bernardino District Attorney’s Office since 2012, and as an adjunct professor at the University of La Verne College of Law since 2014. Towns worked at the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office from 2010 to 2012, and earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Stetson University College of Law.
She replaces the retired San Bernardino Superior Judge Donna Garza.
“We have a critical need for judges and are very pleased with the Governor’s appointment of Judge Towns to our court. We look forward to working with the newest member of our Bench,” said San Bernardino Presiding Judge Glenn Yabuno, in a press release.
Newsom also appointed attorneys Damian Garcia and Kory Mathewson to San Bernardino Superior Court July 1.
Garcia has been a partner at Banks, Garcia and Janis since 2008. He worked as an associate attorney at Banks and Strathman, Attorneys from 2006 to 2008. He started at Banks and Strathman as a law clerk in 2005, and worked as a personal banker at Citibank from 2000 to 2005. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of La Verne College of Law.
Mathewson has been a sole practitioner since 2000, and was a senior associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers from 1998 to 2000. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern Law School.
San Bernardino Superior Court needs 37 additional judicial officers, according to the court.
Riverside Superior
Riverside Superior Court will see Court Commissioners Walter Kubelun and Joshlyn Pulliam, federal prosecutor Jerry Yang and Best Best & Krieger attorney Mona Nemat on the bench after Newsom’s July 11 appointments.
Kubelun has been a commissioner since 2007. He worked for the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office from 2000 to 2007. He previously worked in litigation at three firms from 1991 to 2000, and earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law.
Pulliam also worked as a Riverside prosecutor until 2007. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California School of Law.
Nemat worked at McCormick Kidman & Behrens from 2004 to 2007, and then joined Best Best & Krieger until 2013. She then opened her own law office with a partner, Brissman & Nemat. She rejoined Best Best & Krieger, and made partner this year. Nemat earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law.
Yang has worked as Chief of the Riverside Office for the Central District of California since 2020, and worked as a deputy chief there from 2016 to 2020, and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2008 to 2016. He was an associate at Best Best & Krieger from 2005 to 2008. He earned a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law.
Best Best & Krieger congratulated Nemat and Yang in a press release.
