A longtime attorney and Kings County Superior Court Judge has been tapped by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. to serve as an associate justice on the Fifth District Court of Appeals.
Hanford’s Thomas DeSantos, 61, was appointed by Brown on June 27 and will fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice Gene M. Gomes. This position requires confirmation by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. The Commission consists of Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Attorney General Xavier Becerra, and Senior Presiding Justice Brad R. Hill.
DeSantos has served as a Kings County Superior Court Judge since 2003. He was a sole practitioner from 1993 to 2003 and from 1984 to 1989. He also was a partner at Farley, DeSantos from 1989 to 1993 and an associate at Kahn, Soares, and Conway from 1981 to 1983.
He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Stanford.