Elia Ortiz appointed to Napa County Superior Court

Gov. Jerry Brown today announced the appointments of six new judges to fill vacancies on Bay Area superior courts.

Among the appointments was Napa County Deputy Public Defender Elia Ortiz, 39,  appointed to Napa County Superior Court.

Ortiz, a resident of the city of Napa, obtained her law degree from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

In her role as public defender she acted in 2010 on behalf of Sean Michael Bouchie, accused of assault and battery at Napa State Hospital. She argued that he was incompetent to stand trial.

Other appointments included labor law attorney Mark Talamantes, named to Marin County Superior Court. The 46-year-old Tiburon resident is the founder and managing partner of Talamantes Villegas Carrera, a San Francisco law firm that represents California workers in employment matters.

Oakland attorney Kimberly Colwell and public-interest lawyer Brad Seligman were named to serve with Alameda County Superior Court. Brown also appointed criminal defense lawyer Brendan Conroy and Assistant San Francisco District Attorney Braden Woods to San Francisco Superior Court.

All six of the new judges are Democrats. The trial court judgeships have an annual salary of $178,789.

from Bay City News Service