Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed two court commissioners, a prosecutor and an estate attorney to judgeships in the Inland Empire Jan. 31.
Court Commissioner Laura Garcia joins Riverside Superior Court. Garcia had run for a judgeship in the 2022 election, which prosecutor Jay Kiel won. Garcia has been handling cases as a court commissioner since 2021.
During a candidate forum hosted by Follow Our Courts, Garcia said that there is inequity in Riverside County when it comes to civil issues as well criminal cases. She would be the first Latina from Coachella Valley to sit on the bench, she said. As a court commissioner, she handled hundreds cases of a day, mostly misdemeanors.
