Ventura lawyer appointed as Ventura County Superior Court judge

A Ventura attorney has been tapped to serve as judge with the Ventura County Superior Court, while court officials announced the election of new presiding judges.

The appointment of Maureen Houska, 57, to a judgeship was announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom's office this week.

Houska is a founding partner of Woo Houska LLP, a boutique firm in Ventura that specializes in representing public entities, business, law enforcement, school districts and public transit, according to the firm's website.

An active member of the Ventura County Bar Association and the Ventura Chamber of Commerce, she was admitted to the California State Bar in 1990. She is admitted to practice before all state courts in California, U.S. District Courts for California's central and northern districts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, the law firm's site shows.

Houska could not be reached for comment.

She earned her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School and an undergraduate degree in finance from the University of Notre Dame.

Previously, Houska was an associate at Benton, Orr, Duval & Buckingham and at Lawler, Bonham & Walsh, among other private firms.

Houska's appointment fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge William Liebmann. Liebmann retired in May 2021 after more than 18 years on the bench hearing civil and family law matters, according to the Superior Court, and is a former Camarillo mayor, city council member and planning commissioner.

Compensation for Houska's position is $229,125, Newsom's office reported.

Separately, Ventura County Superior Court officials announced on Thursday the election by judges of the court's next presiding and assistant presiding judges.

Judge Kevin G. DeNoce will serve as presiding judge for 2023 to 2025. Judge Matthew P. Guasco will be assistant presiding judge for the same term. Both will start on Jan. 1, according to the release from Brenda McCormick, court executive officer.

The presiding judge leads the court, establishes policies and allocates resources with assistance from the court executive officer. The assistant presiding judge performs those duties when the presiding judge is absent and carries out tasks assigned by the presiding judge.

DeNoce, currently Ventura County's assistant presiding judge, was appointed to the bench in 2007 and currently presides over general and complex civil cases. He previously worked in private practice and as a prosecutor with the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, according to the court's release. He earned his law degree from the Pepperdine University School of Law.

Guasco, who was appointed to the bench in 2011, currently presides over limited

and unlimited civil cases in Department 20 and has presided over more than 125 criminal and civil jury trials.

Victoria Talbot is a courts and breaking news reporter with The Star. Reach her at victoria.talbot@vcstar.com or 805-437-0258. 

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Local attorney appointed as judge for Ventura County Superior Court