Youngest Superior Court judge in Merced County history sworn in, takes seat immediately

Madeline Shannon
·2 min read

Stephanie L. Jamieson, the youngest judge to be appointed to the bench at the Merced County Superior Court, was sworn in Friday, Jan. 14 by Presiding Judge Mark V. Bacciarini.

Until her appointment to the bench by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Jamieson had worked as a deputy public defender since 2013.

She was involved in several cases during her time in that role, ranging from misdemeanor and felony trials to juvenile adjudications, among other types of cases. She represented the Merced County Public Defender’s Office in developing the Homeless Court Program. Before her time with the Public Defender’s Office. she worked as an independent contractor and sole practitioner in the Law Office of Victor Vertner.

“The Superior Court is pleased to welcome Judge Jamieson to the bench,” read a press release from Merced County Superior Court CEO Amanda Toste’s office. “Her experience and knowledge will be a great asset to the Court and the people of Merced County.”

Jamieson, who was at the park with her dog in December when she got the call that she was getting appointed to the bench, told the Sun-Star that she was “elated and relieved” to have gotten such a coveted position.

“I’m going to be learning new fields of law, going from a specialist to a generalist in a lot of ways,” Jamieson said. “I’m very, very excited about that opportunity, so for right now I’m just going to do whatever’s asked of me, fill whatever role I’m needed in and I’m just so excited to have that chance and to be able to do that in my career.”

The Patterson native went to college at UC Berkeley, majoring in German, before getting her juris doctorate at Santa Clara University School of Law. After graduating from law school, she opted to continue her legal studies by pursuing a Master of Laws degree from California Western School of Law before entering the legal profession.

Jamieson will join 10 other judges on the Merced County Superior Court bench, and there are currently three vacant seats. The annual compensation for superior court judges in California is $223,829.