Three Bay Area trial judges have been confirmed by a state commission in San Francisco to new posts as justices on the state Court of Appeal.
The Commission on Judicial Appointments at a hearing on Thursday approved Gov. Schwarzenegger’s nominations of San Francisco Superior Court Judge Robert Dondero, Contra Costa Superior Court Judge Terence Bruiniers and Alameda County Superior Court Judge Kathleen Banke.
The three jurists will serve on the San Francisco-based First Appellate District of the Court of Appeal.
The panel’s 20 justices handle civil and criminal appeals from the superior courts of 12 Northern California counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano, and Sonoma.
The three new justices were unanimously approved by the three-member commission, which was made up of California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George, Attorney General Jerry Brown and senior First Appellate District Presiding Justice Anthony Kline.
The appointments took effect immediately after the confirmation vote.
