DJ profiles Justice Chavez

In An Evan Hand, today's DJ profiles Justice Victoria Chavez (of 2nd District is known for a dispassionate approach to cases).

• She has been reviewing cases in Division 2 of the 2nd District since her appointment to that court in 2005 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Before that she was a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge for 13 years and served four years as a municipal court judge. As an attorney in private practice for nearly a decade, Chavez handled civil cases, mostly plaintiffs' personal injury and medical malpractice matters. But while on the superior court, she spent the majority of her time presiding over felony trials. She enjoyed the work, she said, but was happy to make the switch to the appellate bench when that opportunity came along.
• Attorneys who have appeared before Chavez praised her judicial temperament.
• Elwood Lui, the administrative presiding justice for the 2nd District who appeared before Chavez in Division 2 when he was an attorney, recalled, "I was really persuaded by her ability to handle a difficult case. I was very impressed with her." Lui said Chavez is "an exceptional colleague" whom he often seeks out for expertise on criminal law matters. "You can go to her and think out a problem," he said.
• On the bench, Chavez said she sometimes asks questions to "test my understanding of what the lawyers' perspective is." When attorneys commandeer oral argument to "act like you never read anything they wrote," she said, "That's fine. It's your time. But it's not especially helpful."