Federal Courts District Update – May 2023

For more federal courts content, please see the Quarterly Federal Courts Committee Newsletter. This quarter’s newsletter includes an interview with the Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett of the Central District of California.

If you are interested in applying to join the Federal Courts Committee, please apply at https://calawyers.org/section/litigation/standing-committees/committee-on-federal-courts/.

Southern District of California

Local Rules: On 16 March 2023, the amendments to Civil Local Rules 16.1 and 40.1 and Criminal Local Rule 16.1a took effect. (GO 748.)

Other updates: On 6 April 2023, the Court adopted its Jury Selection Plan following a two-year pilot period. (GO 147-L.)

Judicial Appointments: On March 7, 2023, the U.S. Senate confirmed U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew G. Schopler as a U.S. district judge for the Southern District of California. Judge Schopler had been a magistrate judge for the Southern District of California since 2016. Read more about Judge Schopler here.

On March 9, 2023, the Senate confirmed Superior Court Judge James E. Simmons, Jr. to fill the seat formerly held by District Judge Anthony J. Battaglia, who assumed senior status on March 31, 2021. Judge Simmons had been a judge on the California Superior Court in San Diego County since 2017 and the supervising judge of the North County Branch since April 2022. Read more about Judge Simmons here.

Central District of California

Judicial Appointments: Brianna Fuller Mircheff has been appointed a United States Magistrate Judge in the Central District of California. Judge Mircheff will sit in the Western Division. Before her appointment, Judge Mircheff served in multiple roles at the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Central District of California, including as a Deputy Federal Public Defender in both the Trial Unit and the Appeals Unit and as Chief of Writs and Appeals. (Press Release.)

Recruitment Notice for Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Trial Attorney Panel: The District Court for the Central District of California seeks applications from attorneys interested in serving on the Criminal Justice Act (“CJA”) Trial Attorney Panel. Private attorneys from the CJA Trial Attorney Panel are appointed in cases in which the Office of the Federal Public Defender has a conflict of interest or is otherwise unable to accept appointment. Applications and supporting documents should be submitted to the CJA Office on or before June 1, 2023, at CJA@cacd.uscourts.gov. (Notice.)

Annual Bar Membership Renewal Fee: Pursuant to General Order No. 21-05, the annual renewal fee of $25 is due on September 1, 2023, for all attorneys admitted to the Court’s Bar before September 1, 2022. Attorneys who fail to pay the annual renewal fee by September 30 will be subject to removal from the rolls of the Court’s Bar and must reapply for membership under Local Rule 83-2.1.2.2. The fee must be paid online through the Court’s website at http://www.cacd.uscourts.gov/attorneys/annual-bar-membership-renewal-fee. (Notice.)

Eastern District of California

Judicial Nomination – The President nominated District Judge Ana de Alba for appointment to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge de Alba has served as a District Judge in the Eastern District of California since 2022, and served as a Superior Court Judge in Fresno County from 2018 to 2022. (Notice.)

Northern District of California

Judges: District Judge Ronald McLeod Whyte passed away on April 10, 2023 at the age of 80. Judge Whyte served as an active judge from 1992 until 2009, and as a senior judge until 2016. Further information about Judge Whyte’s life can be found here. In lieu of flowers, donations in Judge Whyte’s memory may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Services will be held Saturday, June 3, at 1 pm at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Los Gatos, Calif.

Judge William H. Orrick will take senior status effective May 17, 2023.

Standing Orders: Effective April 25, 2023, Judge Chabria updated his civil standing order, standing order for civil trials, and standing order for criminal cases and trials. Judge Chabria’s updated standing orders can be found here.

Judge Araceli-Martinez updated her criminal standing order (effective March 31, 2023) and her civil standing order (effective April 4, 2023); both can be found here.