Gov. Newsom appoints two Sutter County judges

Oct. 6—California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday 15 new Superior Court judicial appointments in the state, including two in Sutter County.

Both appointments for the Sutter County Superior Court fill recent vacancies. John Hinley will fill the vacancy of a new position that was created on July 1, 2022, and Jesse Santana fills a vacancy created by the retirement of Sarah Heckman. Both positions come with an annual salary of $232,399.

According to the governor's office, Hinely, who is from Colusa County, has served as a commissioner for the superior courts of Colusa, Glenn, Plumas and Tehama counties since 2022.

"He was an adjunct professor at Cal Northern School of Law from 2021 to 2023 and an attorney at the California Department of Housing and Community Development from 2020 to 2022," the governor's office said in a statement. "Hinely served as a judge pro tem at the Colusa County Superior Court from 2019 to 2022 and was a sole practitioner from 2008 to 2020. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Cal Northern School of Law."

Officials said Hinely is registered without a party preference.

Santana, who is from Sutter County, has been a partner at Santana and Smith Law Firm in Yuba City since 2014, the governor's office said.

"He was a sole practitioner from 2011 to 2014 and a partner at the law offices of Beauchamp & Santana from 1995 to 2011," the governor's office said. "Santana was an associate at Crosby, Heafey, Roach & May from 1988 to 1995 and served as a deputy district attorney at the Fresno County District Attorney's Office from 1993 to 1994. He earned a Master of Laws degree from the Georgetown University Law Center and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law."

Santana is registered as a Democrat.

According to the state of California, the state's Constitution vests judicial power in its Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, and superior courts.

"Prior to June 1998, California's trial courts consisted of superior and municipal courts, each with its own jurisdiction and with its number of judges fixed by the Legislature," according to the state. "On June 2, 1998, California voters approved a constitutional amendment permitting the judges in each county to unify their superior and municipal courts into a single superior court with jurisdiction over all case types. The goal of court unification is to improve services to the public by consolidating court resources, offering greater flexibility in case assignments, and saving taxpayer dollars. By February 2001, judges in all 58 counties had voted to unify their trial courts."

Superior court judges serve six-year terms and are elected by county voters on a nonpartisan ballot during a general election. Vacancies are filled through appointments by the governor.

"A superior court judge must have been an attorney admitted to practice law in California or have served as a judge of a court of record in this state for at least 10 years immediately preceding election or appointment," the state says. "Superior courts have trial jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases."