Today's MetNews reports:
Brown Readying to Appoint Joshua Groban As Court of Appeal Presiding Justice, i.e., for Div. 5. The article notes that apart from the vacancy for a PJ in 2/5, there is a vacancy in 2/4 for Justice Manella's seat, since she's replaced PJ Norm Epstein. The article recounts some history:
Several governors, through
the years, have appointed their legal advisors to judgeships, going back at
least to 1957 when Gov, Goodwin J. Knight placed his clemency/extradition
secretary, Joseph Babich, on the Sacramento Municipal Court. Brown, in his
earlier stint as governor, in 1980 named his legal affairs secretary, J.
Anthony Kline, to the San Francisco Superior Court, elevating him two years
later to his present post as a presiding justice of the First District Court of
Appeal.Gov. George Deukmejian in 1988 placed his legal affairs secretary,
Marvin Baxter, on the Fifth District Court of Appeal, elevating him two years
later to the California Supreme Court.Gov. Pete Wilson in 1998 named his chief legal advisor, Daniel
Kolkey, to the Third District Court of Appeal, and Gov. Gray Davis appointed
Judicial Appointments Secretary Burt Pines to the Los Angeles Superior Court in
2003.