News
Judges and Judiciary
Mar. 1, 2002
Bench Suits This Fan of Baseball Just Fine
POMONA - A baseball scholarship led Judge Daniel S. Lopez toward the law. A talented high-school athlete, he had skill that earned him a spot on the team at Claremont McKenna College.
PROFILE
Daniel S. Lopez
Superior Court Judge
Pomona
Career highlights: Appointed by Gov. Wilson to Los Angeles Superior Court, 1994; appointed by Gov. Deukmejian to Los Angeles Municipal Court, 1989; private practice, 1980-89; Orange County public defender's office, 1979-80; Los Angeles Legal Aid Foundation, 1978-79;
Law School: Loyola Law School, 1978
Age: 49
By Stephanie Stephens
Special to the Daily Journal
POMONA - A baseball scholarship led Judge Daniel S. Lopez toward the law.
A talented high-school athlete, he had skill that earned him a spot on the team at Claremont McKenna College.
And there, a kid who once dreamed of becoming a professional athlete developed a new vision.
"Claremont opened up a whole new world for me, exposing me to serious academics and the challenges ahead," Lopez recalled.
It was a new world for a son of first-generation Mexican-Americans. Lopez's family was large - five brothers and two sisters.
His father, Al, was a professional boxer, and later set up an East Los Angeles upholstery shop. Lopez's mother, Tillie, worked at home.
Like many immigrant parents, they pushed their children to learn.
"I just remember doing well in school and knowing that if I didn't, there would be consequences," Lopez said.
That motivation propelled Lopez straight from Claremont McKenna to the institution's Graduate University School of Education, where he received his master's degree in education and headed toward what he thought was his life's work as a teacher.
Lopez taught high school and coached from 1974 to 1975, but then he had a realization.
"It wasn't going to be my cup of tea," he said. "I'd secretly always wanted to be an attorney, and I decided now was the time to act."
He enrolled in Loyola Law School in August 1975. He was pleased to share his classes with other minorities.
"Loyola has always been respected for its student body diversity; approximately a third of us were minority. It was intimidating, certainly, being with so many bright students."
Lopez credits Loyola Dean Lola Grant-MacAlpin, whose charge was minority students.
"She was positive and encouraging, and really helped me," he said.
He worked as a law clerk at the school's legal aid office.
The work gave him "early, actual experience."
"We represented people involved with welfare and disability denials," he said, "and I also was introduced to the immigration component of law."
During his last year of school and for a year after graduation, Lopez worked for the Los Angeles Legal Aid Foundation.
Lopez passed the bar in 1979 and joined the Orange County public defender's office in the juvenile division.
"That job made me realize how much I enjoyed working with kids, and that's never changed," he said.
Feeling the need to go solo, Lopez established his own practice in South Gate, where he had grown up. His office was in the front part of his dad's upholstery shop.
"I represented a lot of relatives and friends, who kept me in business for the first couple of years," he said.
"Dad physically gave me a place to start and also emotional support," he said. "His optimism kept me going when things were slow."
Several years later, Lopez moved to a larger space when his business outgrew the office his father provided, and in the late 1980s, he began to think about becoming a judge. In January of 1988, he volunteered as a judge pro tem in South Gate Municipal Court.
"I realized I was good at it and liked it. I received lots of valuable support from clerks and judges there," he said.
Christmas Eve 1989 brought an early gift when he received the call he sought from Gov. George Deukmejian's judicial appointment secretary, informing him of his appointment to Los Angeles Municipal Court in East Los Angeles.
Lopez remained on that bench until 1994, when Gov. Pete Wilson elevated him to the Superior Court.
Lopez credits Judge Gilbert "Rudy" Ruiz, with helping the new judge learn the ropes.
Ruiz called Lopez "a consummate gentleman," who was always cheerful and dedicated. "The judge is hardworking, always getting to work early," he said.
Superior Court Judge Conrad Aragon, who also worked with Lopez in the East Los Angeles court, called him "a very serious judge, who is very committed to the criminal justice system. He puts his heart and soul into his work."
As a Superior Court judge in 1994, Lopez started out in the Lancaster courthouse. The following year, he was transferred to the East District courthouse in Pomona, where, in addition to handling his direct calendar and jury trials, he developed and coordinated the first Early Disposition Program of the felony criminal calendar from 1998 to 2000.
Lopez is proud of that program.
"It was designed to reach a disposition at the earliest stage," he said. "Within two weeks of arraignment, we were able to get a probation report and discuss a plea bargain. We were at a 70 percent disposition."
The court administrator said the program saved $1.9 million in county dollars, according to Lopez.
To Lopez, other benefits of the program were fairly obvious.
He said, "This program taught me that when all the parties have all the information on a case, it's quite possible to resolve it, and quickly.
"At the time, we were confronted with the three-strikes law and many cases going to trial because of it, so we really had to push for disposition of cases and let the strike cases go."
The judge transferred to West Covina in 1999, where he remained until September 2001, when he was named supervising judge of Juvenile Court for the East District, covering the East San Gabriel Valley, and returned to Pomona.
Superior Court Commissioner Martha Bellinger said she was instrumental in Lopez's move to Juvenile Court.
"We aren't always seen as the most prestigious judges, and we need judges who really care about people," Bellinger explained.
Lopez values the professionalism of attorneys appearing before him.
"[I appreciate] their commitment to their clients, especially in the juvenile area. Some outstanding lawyers are truly dedicated to representing, and helping, juveniles," he said.
"Mistaking my respect for them as a weakness," Lopez said, listing behavior by attorneys that sets him off. "They sometimes misinterpret my courtesy."
Lopez applauds the recent implementation of the country's first mental health court in East Lake, in recognition of "the high rate of mental health issues that affect young kids, possibly influencing their deviant behavior."
Even with full days in court, Lopez has been a New Judges' Orientation faculty member for California Judicial Education and Research since 1999.
"I basically teach new judges how to run their courtroom, handle ethical issues, trials and calendar management," he said.
Lopez considers the orientation program to be like a sabbatical for him, a weeklong conference held in San Francisco.
"It refreshes my outlook on the judiciary," he said. "If I could do it full time, I would."
He also is an instructor at Trinity Law School in Santa Ana, teaching in trial advocacy.
"There, I teach students how to be effective lawyers, using real, hands-on applications of methods to actually handle a trial," he said.
Lopez said his early experience on the Municipal Court in East Los Angeles taught him to become involved with local events, and "to stay active." He still is.
Lopez volunteers for youth sports, particularly the American Youth Soccer Organization. His passion for athletics is shared by those close to him.
Lopez has been married for 27 years, and he and his wife have four children.
For 15 years, he's been coaching soccer and baseball.
"I've got no time to get old, with all that I'm doing," he said.
Because he is a juvenile court judge, Daniel Lopez's cases normally are not open to the public, under Section 676.a of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Here is a list of lawyers who practice regularly before Judge Lopez:
Los Angeles County deputy district attorneys: Lia Martin, Reed Rose, Rosa Alarcon, Grace Shin, Charles Chaiyarachta
Los Angeles County deputy public defenders: Rodolfo "Rudy" Aguirre and Felipe Delatorre
Panel and other private attorneys: David Daugherty, Covina; Gerald A. Gornik, Covina; Gary W. Meastas, Pomona
Daniel S. Lopez
Superior Court Judge
Pomona
Career highlights: Appointed by Gov. Wilson to Los Angeles Superior Court, 1994; appointed by Gov. Deukmejian to Los Angeles Municipal Court, 1989; private practice, 1980-89; Orange County public defender's office, 1979-80; Los Angeles Legal Aid Foundation, 1978-79;
Law School: Loyola Law School, 1978
Age: 49
A talented high-school athlete, he had skill that earned him a spot on the team at Claremont McKenna College.
And there, a kid who once dreamed of becoming a professional athlete developed a new vision.
"Claremont opened up a whole new world for me, exposing me to serious academics and the challenges ahead," Lopez recalled.
It was a new world for a son of first-generation Mexican-Americans. Lopez's family was large - five brothers and two sisters.
His father, Al, was a professional boxer, and later set up an East Los Angeles upholstery shop. Lopez's mother, Tillie, worked at home.
Like many immigrant parents, they pushed their children to learn.
"I just remember doing well in school and knowing that if I didn't, there would be consequences," Lopez said.
That motivation propelled Lopez straight from Claremont McKenna to the institution's Graduate University School of Education, where he received his master's degree in education and headed toward what he thought was his life's work as a teacher.
Lopez taught high school and coached from 1974 to 1975, but then he had a realization.
"It wasn't going to be my cup of tea," he said. "I'd secretly always wanted to be an attorney, and I decided now was the time to act."
He enrolled in Loyola Law School in August 1975. He was pleased to share his classes with other minorities.
"Loyola has always been respected for its student body diversity; approximately a third of us were minority. It was intimidating, certainly, being with so many bright students."
Lopez credits Loyola Dean Lola Grant-MacAlpin, whose charge was minority students.
"She was positive and encouraging, and really helped me," he said.
He worked as a law clerk at the school's legal aid office.
The work gave him "early, actual experience."
"We represented people involved with welfare and disability denials," he said, "and I also was introduced to the immigration component of law."
During his last year of school and for a year after graduation, Lopez worked for the Los Angeles Legal Aid Foundation.
Lopez passed the bar in 1979 and joined the Orange County public defender's office in the juvenile division.
"That job made me realize how much I enjoyed working with kids, and that's never changed," he said.
Feeling the need to go solo, Lopez established his own practice in South Gate, where he had grown up. His office was in the front part of his dad's upholstery shop.
"I represented a lot of relatives and friends, who kept me in business for the first couple of years," he said.
"Dad physically gave me a place to start and also emotional support," he said. "His optimism kept me going when things were slow."
Several years later, Lopez moved to a larger space when his business outgrew the office his father provided, and in the late 1980s, he began to think about becoming a judge. In January of 1988, he volunteered as a judge pro tem in South Gate Municipal Court.
"I realized I was good at it and liked it. I received lots of valuable support from clerks and judges there," he said.
Christmas Eve 1989 brought an early gift when he received the call he sought from Gov. George Deukmejian's judicial appointment secretary, informing him of his appointment to Los Angeles Municipal Court in East Los Angeles.
Lopez remained on that bench until 1994, when Gov. Pete Wilson elevated him to the Superior Court.
Lopez credits Judge Gilbert "Rudy" Ruiz, with helping the new judge learn the ropes.
Ruiz called Lopez "a consummate gentleman," who was always cheerful and dedicated. "The judge is hardworking, always getting to work early," he said.
Superior Court Judge Conrad Aragon, who also worked with Lopez in the East Los Angeles court, called him "a very serious judge, who is very committed to the criminal justice system. He puts his heart and soul into his work."
As a Superior Court judge in 1994, Lopez started out in the Lancaster courthouse. The following year, he was transferred to the East District courthouse in Pomona, where, in addition to handling his direct calendar and jury trials, he developed and coordinated the first Early Disposition Program of the felony criminal calendar from 1998 to 2000.
Lopez is proud of that program.
"It was designed to reach a disposition at the earliest stage," he said. "Within two weeks of arraignment, we were able to get a probation report and discuss a plea bargain. We were at a 70 percent disposition."
The court administrator said the program saved $1.9 million in county dollars, according to Lopez.
To Lopez, other benefits of the program were fairly obvious.
He said, "This program taught me that when all the parties have all the information on a case, it's quite possible to resolve it, and quickly.
"At the time, we were confronted with the three-strikes law and many cases going to trial because of it, so we really had to push for disposition of cases and let the strike cases go."
The judge transferred to West Covina in 1999, where he remained until September 2001, when he was named supervising judge of Juvenile Court for the East District, covering the East San Gabriel Valley, and returned to Pomona.
Superior Court Commissioner Martha Bellinger said she was instrumental in Lopez's move to Juvenile Court.
"We aren't always seen as the most prestigious judges, and we need judges who really care about people," Bellinger explained.
Lopez values the professionalism of attorneys appearing before him.
"[I appreciate] their commitment to their clients, especially in the juvenile area. Some outstanding lawyers are truly dedicated to representing, and helping, juveniles," he said.
"Mistaking my respect for them as a weakness," Lopez said, listing behavior by attorneys that sets him off. "They sometimes misinterpret my courtesy."
Lopez applauds the recent implementation of the country's first mental health court in East Lake, in recognition of "the high rate of mental health issues that affect young kids, possibly influencing their deviant behavior."
Even with full days in court, Lopez has been a New Judges' Orientation faculty member for California Judicial Education and Research since 1999.
"I basically teach new judges how to run their courtroom, handle ethical issues, trials and calendar management," he said.
Lopez considers the orientation program to be like a sabbatical for him, a weeklong conference held in San Francisco.
"It refreshes my outlook on the judiciary," he said. "If I could do it full time, I would."
He also is an instructor at Trinity Law School in Santa Ana, teaching in trial advocacy.
"There, I teach students how to be effective lawyers, using real, hands-on applications of methods to actually handle a trial," he said.
Lopez said his early experience on the Municipal Court in East Los Angeles taught him to become involved with local events, and "to stay active." He still is.
Lopez volunteers for youth sports, particularly the American Youth Soccer Organization. His passion for athletics is shared by those close to him.
Lopez has been married for 27 years, and he and his wife have four children.
For 15 years, he's been coaching soccer and baseball.
"I've got no time to get old, with all that I'm doing," he said.
Because he is a juvenile court judge, Daniel Lopez's cases normally are not open to the public, under Section 676.a of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Here is a list of lawyers who practice regularly before Judge Lopez:
Los Angeles County deputy district attorneys: Lia Martin, Reed Rose, Rosa Alarcon, Grace Shin, Charles Chaiyarachta
Los Angeles County deputy public defenders: Rodolfo "Rudy" Aguirre and Felipe Delatorre
Panel and other private attorneys: David Daugherty, Covina; Gerald A. Gornik, Covina; Gary W. Meastas, Pomona
#337599
Contributing Writer
Daily Journal Staff Writer
For reprint rights or to order a copy of your photo:
Email
Jeremy_Ellis@dailyjournal.com
for prices.
Direct dial: 213-229-5424
Send a letter to the editor:
Email: letters@dailyjournal.com