A new PJ & 2 new Justices in the 2d

Commission Confirms 3 Justices to State Appellate Courts -- Associate Justice Therese Stewart of the First District Court of Appeal will now serve as presiding justice of the court's Division Two. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judges Gregory Weingart and Victor Viramontes were confirmed to the Second District Court of Appeal.

• Viramontes, who will serve on Division Eight, was endorsed at Wednesday’s hearing by two former California Supreme Court justices, Carlos Moreno and Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar. Ethel Kennedy, the widow of former U.S. Attorney General and presidential candidate Robert Kennedy, also submitted a letter of support to the commission. Viramontes worked with Ethel Kennedy’s son, Max Kennedy, while he was an attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

The DJ's story is Unusual opposition speech as 3 appellate justices are confirmed, noting "San Francisco-based attorney Gregory M. Haynes spoke at length about his contention that Stewart allowed misconduct by failing to properly supervise employees as chief deputy city attorney in San Francisco from 2008 to 2013."

"The comments were unusual for such a hearing. They are usually friendly formalities. None of the other speakers mentioned them. Instead, witnesses praised Stewart's work and spoke about their mutual love for dogs; Attorney General Rob Bonta apparently has a dog named Legolas, after the elf from "Lord of the Rings," who barked during the virtual hearing."