Gavin Newsom nominates SLO judge to serve on state appeals court
Gov. Gavin Newsom has nominated a San Luis Obispo Superior Court judge to serve on the California Second District Court of Appeal, the local court said in a news release.
Newsom nominated Superior Court Judge Hernaldo Baltodano to serve as an associate justice on the Second District Court of Appeal, Division 6, in Ventura. The court oversees appeals for appeals from San Luis Obispo, Ventura and Santa Barbara superior courts.
Baltodano, a Democrat, has served on the San Luis Obispo Superior Court bench since 2017 after being appointed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown.
He’s worked on on both civil and criminal assignments.
Baltodano led the efforts to create mental health diversion treatment court and to implement a misdemeanor diversion program while serving as a supervising criminal judge from December 2020 to September 2021.
If confirmed, he will be filling the vacancy on the bench left by appeals court Justice Martin Tangeman, who was appointed to the bench after serving in San Luis Obispo Superior Court. Tangeman recently retired.
The Commission on Judicial Appointments still has to confirm Baltodano to the position.
This story was originally published June 9, 2022 at 2:29 PM.
