Brown Appoints Carin Fujisaki as Associate Justice on Court of Appeal

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown on Oct. 26 announced the appointment of Carin T. Fujisaki, 59 of Walnut Creek as associate justice, Division 3 of the 1st District Court of Appeal.

Carin Fujisaki

Fujisaki has served as principal attorney to the chief justice at the California Supreme Court since 2015, where she was a judicial staff attorney from 1991 to 2014 and a staff attorney from 1990 to 1991.

She was an associate at Howard, Rice, Nemerovski, Canady, Robertson and Falk from 1986 to 1990 and a research attorney at the San Francisco County Superior Court from 1985 to 1986.

Fujisaki earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the UCLA.

She fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Justice Peter J. Siggins to presiding justice, Division 3 of the 1st District Court of Appeal.

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 J. Anthony Kline. Fujisaki is a Democrat.

Among Brown’s other recent judicial appointments:

Jana M. Seng, 43, of South Pasadena has been appointed to a judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Since 2016, she has been a head deputy at the Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defender’s Office, where she has served as a deputy alternate public defender since 2005. She served as a deputy public defender at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office from 2002 to 2005.

Seng earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Washington, School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from CSU Long Beach. She fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Halim Dhanidina to the Court of Appeal. Seng is a Democrat.

Jason B. Chin, 42, of Alameda, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Alameda County Superior Court. He has served as a deputy district attorney at the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office since 2004. He served as a deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General in 2011.

Chin earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Pepperdine University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from UC San Diego. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Vernon K. Nakahara. Chin is registered without party preference.