Notice
Judicial Assignment Order Effective January 4, 2027
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF SAN MATEO
ORDER ASSIGNING DUTIES OF THE JUDGES OF THE COURT
JANUARY 4, 2027 TO DECEMBER 31, 2027
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED FOR THE YEAR BEGINNING JANUARY 4, 2027 THAT THE FOLLOWING ASSIGNMENTS SHALL BE FILLED BY THE JUDGES AND COMMISSIONERS OF THE ABOVE-ENTITLED COURT, SUBJECT TO SUCH CHANGES AS MAY LATER BE MADE BY THE PRESIDING JUDGE:
I. COURT ADMINISTRATION
HON. RACHEL E. HOLT shall act as Presiding Judge of the Court and shall perform all the duties prescribed for the Presiding Judge by the California Rules of Court and rules of this court as amended.
HON. JEFFREY R. FINIGAN shall act as Assistant Presiding Judge of the Court and shall perform administrative duties as assigned by the Presiding Judge including serving as Presiding Judge.
II. SUPERVISING JUDGES
HON. NICOLE S. HEALY shall act as Supervising Judge of Civil, Probate, Case Management and ADR Programs and shall perform administrative duties as assigned by the Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge.
HON. JEFFREY R. FINIGAN shall act as Supervising Judge of Commissioners and Judges Pro Tem and shall perform administrative duties as assigned by the Presiding Judge.
HON. KEVIN E. DUNLEAVY shall act as Supervising Judge of Criminal and shall perform administrative duties as assigned by the Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge.
HON. MICHAEL K. WENDLER shall act as Supervising Judge of the Collaborative Courts and shall perform administrative duties as assigned by the Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge.
HON. SUSAN M. JAKUBOWSKI shall act as Supervising Judge of the Juvenile Court and shall perform administrative duties as assigned by the Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge.
HON. SEAN P. DABEL shall act as Supervising Judge of Family Law and shall perform administrative duties as assigned by the Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge.
HON. NICOLE S. HEALY shall act as Supervising Judge of the Central Branch Court and shall perform administrative duties as assigned by the Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge.
HON. DON R. FRANCHI shall act as the Supervising Judge of the Northern Branch Court and shall perform all administrative duties as assigned by the Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge.
III. SPECIALTY ASSIGNMENTS
CRIMINAL PRESIDING JUDGE
HON. RENEE C. REYNA shall act as Criminal Presiding Judge with primary responsibility for the Master Criminal Calendar and the Superior Court Review Program.
PROBATE JUDGE
HON. LISA A. NOVAK shall act as the Probate Judge and shall supervise proceedings under the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act and shall perform all other duties as assigned by the Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge.
JUVENILE JUDGES
HON. SUSAN M. JAKUBOWSKI and HON. AMARRA A. LEE shall act as Juvenile Court Judges and perform all other duties as assigned by the Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge.
FAMILY LAW JUDGES
HON. DON R. FRANCHI, HON. JENNIFER M. FROST, HON. VIVIAN F. WANG, and HON. BRIAN M. DONNELLAN, shall act as Family Law Direct Calendar Judges and shall perform all other duties as assigned by the Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge.
IV. COLLABORATIVE COURTS
MULTIPLE DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE JUDGE
HON. MICHAEL K. WENDLER shall act as the Multiple Driving Under the Influence Court Judge.
PATHWAYS MENTAL HEALTH COURT JUDGE
HON. LISA A. NOVAK shall act as the Pathways Mental Health Court Judge.
PC 1370 COURT JUDGE
HON. MICHAEL K. WENDLER shall act as the PC 1370 Court Judge.
MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION JUDGE
HON. MICHAEL K. WENDLER shall act as the Mental Health Diversion Court Judge.
PROPOSITION 36/DRUG COURT
HON. MICHAEL K. WENDLER shall act as the Proposition 36/Drug Court Judge.
CARE COURT
HON. MICHAEL K. WENDLER shall act as the Care Court Judge.
RESTITUTION COURT JUDGE
HON. CHINHAYI C. CADET shall act as the Restitution Court Judge.
VETERANS COURT AND MILITARY DIVERSION COURT JUDGE
HON. MICHAEL K. WENDLER shall act as the Veterans Court Judge and Military Diversion Court Judge.
V. SOUTHERN BRANCH
The following judges shall act as Trial Judges in Redwood City and shall perform all other duties as assigned by the Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge:
HON. SARAH P. BURDICK
HON. CHINHAYI C. CADET
JUDGE SHARON CHO
HON. SEAN P. DABEL
HON. LELAND DAVIS III
HON. KEVIN E. DUNLEAVY
HON. JEEFREY R. FINIGAN
HON. STEPHANIE G. GARRATT
HON. ELIZABETH M. HILL
HON. JEFFREY B. JACKSON
HON. ROSENDO PADILLA, Jr.
The following judge shall act as Civil Direct Calendar Judge in Redwood City:
HON. NANCY L. FINEMAN
The following Commissioners will act as Traffic, Small Claims, Criminal and Family Law Support Commissioners in Redwood City:
HON. CRISTINA MAZZEI
HON. MALISHA L. JONES
VI. NORTHERN BRANCH
The following judges shall act as Civil Direct Calendar Judges in South San Francisco:
HON. MARK ALAN McCANNON
HON. MICHAEL L. MAU
The following judge shall act as Family Law Direct Calendar Judge in South San Francisco:
HON. DON R. FRANCHI
The following Commissioners will act as Traffic, Small Claims, Criminal and Family Law Support Commissioners in South San Francisco:
HON. REBECCA L. WOODSON
HON. J. KEVIN ALLEN
VII. CENTRAL BRANCH
The following judges shall act as Civil Direct Calendar Judges in San Mateo:
HON. NICOLE S. HEALY
DAVID A. SILBERMAN
The following Commissioner will act as Civil Direct Calendar Commissioner in San Mateo:
HON. TIMOTHY E. ELLIOTT
VIII. COMMISSIONERS
HON. CRISTINA MAZZEI, HON. MALISHA L. JONES, REBECCA L. WOODSON and HON. JAMES KEVIN ALLEN shall act as Traffic, Small Claims, Criminal, and Family Law Support Commissioners and shall perform all other duties as assigned by the Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge.
HON. BROOKE MURPHY-KENT shall act as the Family Law Direct Calendar Commissioner responsible for handling informal discovery conferences, status conferences, mandatory settlement conferences, domestic violence restraining orders, and firearm relinquishment review hearings for restraining orders issued in Family Law, Civil, and Probate cases and shall perform all other duties as assigned by the Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge.
HON. TIMOTHY E. ELLIOTT shall act as the Civil Direct Calendar Commissioner and shall perform all other duties as assigned by the Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge.
IX. APPELLATE DEPARTMENT
Subject to the approval of the Chief Justice, effective January 4, 2027, HON. SHARON CHO, Presiding, HON. ROSENDO PADILLA Jr., HON. JEFFREY B. JACKSON are assigned to the Appellate Department. HON. CHINHAYI C. CADET is designated as the Alternate Judge in the Appellate Department.
CIVIL GRAND JURY JUDGE
HON. RENEE C. REYNA shall act as Civil Grand Jury Judge. Such designation will expire June 30, 2027.