judicial assignments placer county

Judicial Branch of California

General information, mission statement, open to all, trusted by all, justice for all, placer superior court.

The Placer Superior Court serves all people in Placer County as one of the state's 58 trial courts. The court has jurisdiction over all criminal cases including felonies, misdemeanors and infractions; all civil cases, including small claims, probate and conservatorships; family law/support cases; mental health and juvenile law cases.

Presiding Judges & Court Executive Officer

Presiding judge: hon. alan v. pineschi, assistant presiding judge: hon. eugene gini, court executive officer: jake chatters.

Click on the topics below for more information.

COURT LOCATIONS

Hon. Howard G. Gibson Courthouse 10820 Justice Center Drive Roseville, CA 95678 (916) 408-6000 MORE LOCATIONS »

Local Rules

Information about requesting accommodations for those with disabilities.

Learn about the Grand Jury of Placer County.

History of Placer Court

Learn about the history of the Placer Country Superior Court.

Hours & Holidays

Find our hours and holiday schedules for all court locations.

Interpreter Information

Learn about the Court's Interpreter procedures.

Search our current job announcements.

Judicial Assignments

Find Judicial Officer department assignments.

Jury Service

Learn about serving on the Jury and how to check your Jury status.

Language Access

Find the Limited English Proficiency Plan.

Procurement

Locations & contact info.

Find telephone numbers and address information.

Media Information

Learn about the Court's media policies and procedures.

Case Records/Copy Request

Find information about how to request records and copies.

News & Events

Get Email Updates from Ballotpedia

First Name *

Please complete the Captcha above

Ballotpedia on Facebook

  Share this page

  Follow Ballotpedia

Ballotpedia on Twitter

Superior court of placer county, california.

• 1.2 Judicial selection
• 1.3 See also
• 1.4 External links
• 2.1 Selection method
• 2.2.1 Primary election
• 2.2.2 General election
• 2.3 Footnotes

Superior Court

The Superior Court of Placer County is one of 58 Superior Courts in California .

• Suzanne Gazzaniga
• Eugene S. Gini, Jr.
• Trisha J. Hirashima
• Garen Horst
• Michael W. Jones
• Frances A. Kearney
• Colleen M. Nichols
• Jeffrey Penney
• Alan V. Pineschi
• Charles D. Wachob [1]

Judicial selection

The method of judicial selection for the California Superior Courts is officially nonpartisan election of judges , though many judges join the court via gubernatorial appointment . Once judges are appointed, they compete in the next general election following appointment.

If an incumbent Superior Court judge files for re-election and draws no opponent, that race does not appear on the ballot. If the race is contested, the candidate who wins more than 50% of the vote is elected. If no candidate receives more than 50%, the top two compete in a runoff in the general election in November. [2]

• Placer County, California
• California Superior Courts

External links

• Website of the Superior Court of Placer County
• California Courts, Trial Court Roster

California is one of 43 states that hold elections for judicial positions. To learn more about judicial selection in California, click here .

• California local trial court judicial elections, 2024
• California local trial court judicial elections, 2023
• California local trial court judicial elections, 2022
• California local trial court judicial elections, 2021
• California local trial court judicial elections, 2020
• California local trial court judicial elections, 2019
• California local trial court judicial elections, 2018
• California local trial court judicial elections, 2017
• California local trial court judicial elections, 2016
• California judicial elections, 2014
• California judicial elections, 2012
• California judicial elections, 2010

Selection method

The 1,535 judges of the California Superior Courts compete in nonpartisan races in even-numbered years. If a candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in the June primary election, he or she is declared the winner; if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff between the top two candidates is held during the November general election. [3] [4] [5] [6]

If an incumbent judge is running unopposed in an election, his or her name does not appear on the ballot. The judge is automatically re-elected following the general election. [3]

The chief judge of any given superior court is selected by peer vote of the court's members. He or she serves in that capacity for one or two years, depending on the county. [3]

Qualifications Candidates are required to have 10 years of experience as a law practitioner or as a judge of a court of record. [3]

Election rules

Primary election.

Only candidates for the superior courts compete in primary elections.

• If a superior court judge runs unopposed for re-election, his or her name does not appear on the ballot and he or she is automatically re-elected following the general election. [7] [8]
• Write-in candidates may file to run against an incumbent within 10 days after the filing deadline passes if they are able to secure enough signatures (between 100 and 600, depending on the number of registered voters in the county). In that case, the incumbent would appear on the general election ballot along with an option to vote for a write-in candidate. [8]
• In contested races, the candidate who receives a majority of all the votes in the primary wins the election. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes in the primary, the top two compete in the November general election. [9]

General election

• Superior court candidates who advance from the primary election compete in the general election.
• Superior court incumbents facing competition from write-in candidates appear on the ballot. [8] [9]
• ↑ California Courts, "Trial Courts Roster," accessed November 11, 2016
• ↑ Los Angeles Times , "Safeguarding California's judicial election process," August 21, 2011
• ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 American Judicature Society , "Methods of Judicial Selection: California," archived October 2, 2014
• ↑ California Elections Code , "Section 8203," accessed May 21, 2014
• ↑ California Elections Code , "Section 8140-8150," accessed May 21, 2014
• ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 California Elections Code, "Section 8203," accessed April 22, 2014
• ↑ 9.0 9.1 California Elections Code, "Section 8140-8150," accessed April 22, 2014
• California superior courts
• Placer County California, Superior Court

Ballotpedia features 487,098 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. Click here to contact our editorial staff or report an error . For media inquiries, contact us here . Please donate here to support our continued expansion.

Information about voting

• What's on my ballot?
• Where do I vote?
• How do I register to vote?
• How do I request a ballot?
• When do I vote?
• When are polls open?
• Who represents me?

2024 Elections

• Presidential election
• Presidential candidates
• Congressional elections
• Ballot measures
• State executive elections
• State legislative elections
• State judge elections
• Local elections
• School board elections

2025 Elections

• State executives
• State legislatures
• State judges
• Municipal officials
• School boards
• Election legislation tracking
• State trifectas
• State triplexes
• Redistricting
• Pivot counties
• State supreme court partisanship
• Polling indexes

Public Policy

• Administrative state
• Criminal justice policy
• Education policy
• Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)
• Unemployment insurance
• Work requirements
• Policy in the states

Information for candidates

• Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey
• How do I run for office?
• How do I update a page?
• Election results
• Send us candidate contact info

Get Engaged

• Donate to Ballotpedia
• Report an error
• Newsletters
• Ballotpedia podcast
• Ballotpedia Boutique
• Media inquiries
• Premium research services
• 2024 Elections calendar
• 2024 Presidential election
• Biden Administration
• Recall elections
• Ballotpedia News

SITE NAVIGATION

• Ballotpedia's Sample Ballot
• 2024 Congressional elections
• 2024 State executive elections
• 2024 State legislative elections
• 2024 State judge elections
• 2024 Local elections
• 2024 Ballot measures
• Upcoming elections
• 2025 Statewide primary dates
• 2025 State executive elections
• 2025 State legislative elections
• 2025 Local elections
• 2025 Ballot measures
• Cabinet officials
• Executive orders and actions
• Key legislation
• Judicial nominations
• White House senior staff
• U.S. President
• U.S. Congress
• U.S. Supreme Court
• Federal courts
• State government
• Municipal government
• Election policy
• Running for office
• Ballotpedia's weekly podcast
• About Ballotpedia
• Editorial independence
• Job opportunities
• News and events
• Privacy policy
• Disclaimers

• Forms & Rules
• Policy & Administration
• News & Reference

• Judges Roster
• Superior Courts
• Local Rules
• Reduced Court Services
• Civil Case Coordination

Circuit Judge Tim McCourt moving from Lake County to Marion County assignment in May

A month after Circuit Judge Anthony Tatti traded in his black robe to be a defense attorney, Gov. Ron DeSantis has made an appointment to fill the position.

In a press release issued April 25, it was announced that DeSantis had tapped Citrus County Judge Charles Helm for the spot.

Helm has been a county judge for three years, and before that was an assistant U. S. attorney for the 15th Judicial Circuit, according to the governor's announcement.

The judge received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and his juris doctor from Liberty University. 

Judge Timothy McCourt's role

Though Helm's appointment fills the vacancy that Tatti left, Circuit Judge Timothy McCourt is expected to take over Tatti's docket in Ocala. The new judge, Helm, will take McCourt's docket in Lake County. Circuit judges can serve anywhere in the 5th Judicial Circuit, whose member counties are Marion, Lake, Citrus, Sumter and Hernando.

On Friday, McCourt said he expects to be in Ocala by mid-May. The judge said when he arrives in Marion, Helm will assume his spot in Lake and handle family law, guardianship, mental health issues and injunctions.

"I'll miss Lake County. I'm looking forward to my new assignment and getting ready to work on cases," McCourt said.

The defense: Circuit Judge Anthony Tatti is retiring from the bench, but not the law. Here's his next step.

Since Tatti's departure, retired Circuit Judge Willard Pope has taken over the docket. Pope and other judges are expected to oversee cases until McCourt's arrival.

Tatti's docket consists of criminal cases.

McCourt is familiar with criminal law. He was an assistant state attorney in Marion County and later served as a staff attorney for the Marion County Sheriff's Office. DeSantis appointed McCourt in December 2023 to replace Circuit Judge Larry Metz, who retired earlier that year.

Contact Austin L. Miller at [email protected]