Courthouse rotating judges

The Del Norte County Superior Court bench will be more like a basketball team with judges rotating in and out of the courthouse until Gov. Jerry Brown appoints a permanent justice for the county.

A vacancy was created when Judge Robert Weir retired at the beginning of the year.

Former Del Norte County Judge Philip Schafer will be filling the empty spot until at least February and may serve through March, Court Executive Officer Sandra Linderman said.

Linderman must apply for a judge to be assigned to the county by the California Administrative Office of the Courts every month until a replacement for Weir is appointed.

The county is at a geographical disadvantage because there is a guideline within the assignment program that asks judges outside of a 150-mile radius of the county to waive any travel and lodging expenses, Linderman said.

“Some judges are okay with this, but not many, so we really have to check around when asking judges to serve,” said Linderman.

There could be times when a judge isn’t available for a whole month, Linderman said.

“Our fear is we could have a different judge every week” of a month, she said.

Having visiting judges around for a month allows them to get used to the local process, but changing seats every week could pose a continuity issue, Linderman said.

She will be applying for assignments for the next several months.

Brown appointed 14 state-level magistrates at the end of December, which were the first appointments at that level during his current term.

“This isn’t abnormal,” said Evan Westrup, a spokesman for the Governor’s Office. “The process that follows all of these judicial appointments is rigorous and thorough, and obviously not something that happens overnight.”

There are numerous applicants to screen and several levels of interviews, Westrup said.

The applicants first go through a screening process conducted by the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation, then an interview process by the Governor’s Office before Brown makes a choice, Westrup said.

The office has declined to reveal who is seeking the post.

“Our focus is on getting the best possible judge in filling that vacancy and that will ultimately dictate our timing,” Westrup said.

Once chosen, the new judge will serve through 2014.

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