After 23 years as a judge, John Pacheco is stepping down from the bench.
“It’s been a fantastic run as a lawyer and a judge,” Pacheco said Aug 22.
He will join Signature Resolution as a mediator.
“I’ve always been about people—helping people. I think that’s something I can continue,” he said, outside the celebration of his retirement at Mario’s Place in Riverside.
His celebration was attended by his law school classmates, colleagues and children.
Dario Higuchi, managing partner at Signature Resolution, said he was glad Pacheco joined his firm.
“We could not get a better person to rep the firm out here. He couldn’t have had a better reputation as a lawyer, as a judge,” Higuchi said.
“I worked with him both in civil practice and on the bench. He will make a great mediator at his new job,” said San Bernardino Superior Judge Donna Garza.
Attorney Campbell Finlay said Pacheco was a fair trial judge—and a good sport.
“On the golf course, he is always smiling, no matter where the golf ball goes,” said Finlay.
Attorney Bryan Reid praised Pacheco’s service as 2022 president of the San Bernardino/Riverside chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)—a role which Reid served after Pacheco.
“He led with such grace, and energy, and compassion,” Reid said.
At ABOTA, Pacheco headed the educational recreation of a desegregation case in San Bernardino. He estimated he spent 400 hours putting together the program for Lopez v. Seccombe. It was held with a crowd of 150 people, mostly students, at San Bernardino’s Mitla Cafe on Sept. 15. The following year, he hosted an educational virtual town hall on the independence of the judicial branch, which 200 people attended.
ABOTA awarded Pacheco with the William W. Bedsworth Judicial Civility Award in 2022. He is one of three to receive the award since its inaugural awarding in 2017.
“John Pacheco-He’s an amazing man, he’s an amazing resource, and a great friend,” Reid said.
Pacheco has been active in the California Latino Judges Association, the Advisory Committee of the California State Bar Association and San Bernardino Superior Court’s Council for Access and Fairness. He has been chair of the San Bernardino Court’s Community Outreach Committee and co-chair of the Elimination of Bias Committee.
Attorney Greg Rizio said that Pacheco is beloved by both sides of the courtroom.
“I get a lot of calls from people outside the county, asking about judges. Always, if they are assigned John, I say they are lucky to have him. And after they are done with the case, they call me back and say, ‘thank you.’ John will be a great mediator, and Signature is lucky to have him,” Rizio said.
Tort attorney Eric Traut touted Pacheco’s work with him on the court’s expedited trial program. Traut was implementing his own version in Orange County, he said.
“The key to his success as a judge and his sage advice to lawyers who appear before him was brevity. This should spill over to mediations. You will get every penny for his mediation,” Traut said.
Western State University College of Law classmate David Valles said he and Pacheco served as mutual support systems for each other.
“He is a giving person. He is the kind of guy that is there for you,” Valles said.
In 1979 Pacheco clerked for the city attorney of Chino and Riverside Superior Judge David Hennigan, then family law specialist Gassner and Gassner. He joined Rose, Klein and Marias in 1985 as an associate attorney, then was advanced to a partner in 1993. In 1994, he started out at Garza and Reyes, working with local celebrity attorney Florentino Garza and attorney-later turned state representative Eloise Gomez Reyes. He became a partner the following year under the new name Garza, Garza & Pacheco, with Tom Garza, now judge, as the other named partner.
His son, Joey Pacheco, said his new role is the culmination of his career.
“I’m happy for him…. I know he will be good at it, and I know it’s for the people,” he said.
