Biographical Information
- Education:San Francisco State University-BA, Social and Behavioral Science, La Raza StudiesNew College of California School of Law-JD
- Pre-bench Legal Experience:Family Law attorney for 22 plus years. Most recently employed for 13 years by Superior Court of California, County of Marin, as Family Law Facilitator, Managing Legal Self Help Attorney, and Director of Family Court Services.
Judicial Experience:
- Family Court Judge Pro Tem since 2015.
Pre-bench Civic & Professional Activities:
- Former board member, Marin County Law Library
- Founder, Marin County Lawyers in the Law Library program
- California State Bar Family Court Employee of the Year, 2017
- Pro bono volunteer, Family and Children’s Law Center and Legal Aid
- Former Mediation and Family Law Adjunct Professor, University of San Francisco School of Law
Typical weekly schedule:
- Daily calendars 8:00 am to 4:00 pm (lunch break between 12 noon and 1:30 pm)
Courtroom policies:
Be prepared, avoid interrupting, and maintain professional and courteous behavior at all times.
Teleconferencing/Zoom:
Yes
Settlement conferences:
Judicially supervised settlement conferences are available and highly encouraged.
Witnesses:
Per Family Code section 217(c)
Sanctions:
Upon notice, opportunity to be heard, and filing of Income and Expense Declarations.
Decorum:
“You can disagree without being disagreeable.” –RBG (Also see courtroom policies.)
Court reporters and translators:
Reporter or electronic recording available for all matters. Interpreters available upon request.
Computers in the courtroom:
Yes
Audio-Visual:
Yes
Cameras in the courtroom:
No
Does this Court prefer courtesy copies delivered to the department prior to hearing?
Yes
Does this Court use the Contra Costa Standard Family Law Pre-Trial order or have its own Pre-Trial order:
Standard order.
Does this Court expect parties/attorneys to meet and confer prior to hearing?
Yes. Will the Court order parties to do so before calling the matter? Yes.
Advice:
- Comply with all applicable filing deadlines.
- Avoid/limit continuances whenever possible. Inform DCSS and all other parties in advance of continuance requests.
- Provide legal authority for “unique” requests.
- Ensure the court has copies of all the same financial information provided to the Department of Child Support Services.
- Be willing to mediate.
- Stay on topic and present your case concisely.
- Let the court know before the hearing if your case requires more than 20 minutes.