SLO Superior Court Judge Jac Crawford retires

San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Jac Crawford announced his retirement Friday after nine years on the bench.

Crawford, 69, retired Thursday.

Since his appointment by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006, Crawford has presided over both civil and criminal cases, and he was the first judge to preside over SLO Superior Court’s innovative misdemeanor arraignment calendar, one of several ways the court has weathered increasing budget constraints.

Recently, Crawford upheld the county’s two-year ordinance prohibiting new groundwater pumping from the Paso Robles groundwater basin, and he rejected challenges to the Air Pollution Control Board’s controversial Rule 1001, known as the “dust rule,” which aims to reduce the amount of unhealthy dust pollution blowing onto Nipomo Mesa from Oceano Dunes.

Crawford’s retirement leaves the SLO Superior Court with three vacancies. In February, former Judge Martin Tangeman was appointed to the Second District Court of Appeal, and the court converted a subordinate commissioner position to a full-time judgeship following the appointment of Superior Court Judge Gayle Peron in November.

This story was originally published March 25, 2016 at 5:19 PM with the headline "SLO Superior Court Judge Jac Crawford retires."