IN October 2008, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Filipino lawyer, Bernie C. Laforteza (then 47), as Judge of the Superior Court, County of Los Angeles, North District, Department A-6, to preside over criminal matters including jury trials. He filled the vacancy created by the death of Judge David Mintz.
Prior to his appointment to the bench, Laforteza has served as a Deputy District Attorney with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office since 2005. Previously, Judge LaForteza was a Deputy Public Defender for the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office from 1995 to 2004. From 1993 to 1994, he was the program manager for the University of California, Los Angeles Alumni Association and, from 1992 to 1993, LaForteza was an attorney at Daza, Eto, Hwu & LaForteza.
LaForteza, of Newhall, California has been a Judge Advocate General Officer in the U.S. Army Reserves since 1997. In 2004, he deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served as an Army Prosecutor and Administrative Law Attorney. He has also been a part-time Lecturer at USC since 2003.
The Republican judge earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
He is married to Marie and they have two children, Alexandra and Daniel.
( Published March 24, 2010 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. B3 )
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