Imperial Valley native chosen as first Latina State Chief Justice in California

(KYMA, KECY/ AP NEWS) - California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially nominated Imperial Valley native Patricia Guerrero to be the state’s next Chief Justice.

Newsom ultimately picking the daughter of Mexican immigrants to lead the nation’s largest judicial system.

Guerrero made history earlier this year when she was the first Latina confirmed to the California Supreme Court.

Now she’s poised to do it again - as the first Latina to lead the state’s court system that includes over 2,100 judges across 58 trial courts and 105 justices on the Courts of Appeal.

Unlike the U.S. Supreme Court, California judges are not confirmed by the Legislature and do not get lifetime appointments. Guerrero must first be confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, consisting of the chief justice, state Attorney General Rob Bonta, and Manuel Ramirez, the senior presiding justice of the state Court of Appeal.

After that, voters will decide in November whether to give Guerrero a 12-year term.