Fil-Am lawyer named LA County Superior Court judge

Alexander P. Sario has served as a deputy alternate public defender at the Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defender’s Office since 2008. Photo from the Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom

SACRAMENTO – California Governor Gavin Newsom Thursday announced his appointment of 10 Superior Court judges, including Filipino American lawyer Alexander P. Sario.

Newsom appointed Sario and three others to serve as judges in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

He also named Superior Court judges in the counties of Alameda, Orange, Plumas, Santa Clara and Ventura.

Sario has served as a deputy alternate public defender at the Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defender’s Office since 2008.

He served as a deputy public defender at the Riverside County Public Defender’s Office from 2007 to 2008 and as an associate at Palmer, Lombardi & Donohue LLP from 2006 to 2007.

His current practice includes serious felonies and homicides at the Pomona Courthouse. He also practiced public criminal defense in Riverside County and business litigation in downtown Los Angeles.

Sario has served on the Board of Directors of the Philippine American Bar Association (PABA) for many years.

He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School and a BA from the University of California, San Diego.

Sario fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Michael L. Stern.

Newsom also announced his nomination of two Court of Appeal justices: Judge Charles A. Smiley as associate justice of the First District Court of Appeal, Division One, and Judge Nathan R. Scott as associate justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three.

Earlier this year, Newsom appointed three Filipino Americans as Superior Court judges in Southern California: Bryan Clavecilla, Cristina Legaspi and Lowrie Mendoza.

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Late last year, he also named Fil-Am lawyer Christine Gonong as a judge in the LA County Superior Court.