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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Just in time for Christmas, Lake County has a new Superior Court judge.
On Friday, Gov. Jerry Brown announced that he has appointed Lakeport attorney J. David Markham to succeed Judge Richard Martin on the bench.
“It is truly an honor to receive this prestigious appointment from the governor,” Markham said. “Judge Martin has left some very large shoes to fill and I will do my best to maintain the high level of integrity, fairness and dedication to justice that he displayed for so many years in the courtroom.”
It’s good news for the court, which has four full-time judge positions – plus several retired judges who assist on cases – with a heavy caseload.
“I am very pleased that the governor has made the appointment,” Lake County Superior Court Presiding Judge Andrew Blum told Lake County News. “I have worked with David Markham over the years and I am confident that he will be an excellent Superior Court judge.”
Martin retired in May, before the end of his term. As such, the California Constitution calls for the governor to appoint a successor to fill the vacancy until the seat next goes on the ballot. In this case, Lake County Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley said the seat will next be up for election in 2020.
The compensation for the judge’s position is $200,042 annually.
Markham, 48, earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Empire College School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Davis.
He served as a deputy district attorney at the Lake County District Attorney’s Office from 2001 to 2002.
From 2003 to 2004, Markham was an associate at Alvord and Ewing. He’s been a sole practitioner since 2004, handling both criminal and civil cases.
Earlier this year, Markham and Andrea Sullivan, partners at Lake Indigent Defense LLP, took over administration of the Lake County indigent defense contract.
In order to qualify for the judicial appointment, Markham had to undergo a rigorous months-long vetting process overseen by the Governor’s Office and the Judicial Nominees Evaluation Committee.
“What I will miss most about being an attorney are the relationships I have formed with the other attorneys in this county,” Markham said. Throughout my career, my colleagues, whether we worked together or opposed each other, have always been professional, kind and respectful. I wouldn't have been appointed without their support during this lengthy process.”
He added, “Lake County has been a wonderful place to practice law because of the quality of attorneys who practice here. I am grateful and honored to have had the opportunity to work with such amazing people.”
Markham’s appointment comes as a time when the Lake County Superior Court is facing significant personnel changes.
In addition to Martin’s retirement, in November Judge Stephen Hedstrom, now the most senior of Lake County’s full-time judges, announced he would not seek reelection in 2018. His third and final term will end in January 2019.
Following Hedstrom’s announcement, Markham said he was planning to run for Hedstrom’s Department 4 seat.
Then, earlier this month, District Attorney Don Anderson – who had said in November he would seek a third term in his current job – announced he also planned to run to succeed Hedstrom.
With Markham now appointed to the Department 3 judge’s seat, he said he was officially ending his 2018 judicial campaign, which leaves only Anderson in the race so far.
“I’m very grateful to everyone who supported my candidacy and I look forward to serving our local communities as Lake County’s newest Superior Court Judge,” Markham said.
Lake County Superior Court Executive Officer Krista LeVier said the court doesn’t yet have a date for Markham’s swearing-in ceremony.
Besides Markham’s appointment, on Friday Gov. Brown’s office announced that he also had finalized 32 other Superior Court selections across the state, including one each Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Kings, Lassen, Monterey, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Solano, Stanislaus and Ventura counties; two each in Napa, Orange, San Bernardino and Santa Clara counties; three in Sacramento County; and six in Los Angeles County.
The large number of appointees this month and in November – when the governor appointed another 34 Superior Court judges – arises from the extensive judicial vacancy backlog that California is reported to have.
Friday’s appointees include 17 men and 16 women, ranging in age from 37 to 65. Of the appointees, 23 gave their party preference as Democrat, with the remaining 10 – Markham among them – listed as without party preference.
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