SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. — Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Laurel Hoehn to a San Bernardino County Superior Court judgeship, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Gilbert G. Ochoa. The appointment was one of 23 trial-court judicial appointments announced across California on November 4, 2026.

Who is the new judge?

Hoehn has been a commissioner at the San Bernardino County Superior Court since 2024, according to the Governor’s announcement. Before joining the court, she worked in the San Bernardino County Counsel’s Office, including as Principal Assistant County Counsel in 2024, Supervising Deputy County Counsel from 2023 to 2024, and Deputy County Counsel from 2019 to 2023.

Her legal career also includes private practice and a partnership at Grossberg & Hoehn. The Governor’s office says she received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of La Verne School of Law and identifies her as a Democrat. Party registration is background information supplied in the appointment release, not a description of how a judge should decide cases.

What the appointment changes

The appointment fills a particular vacancy in the county’s trial court system. It should not be confused with a new courthouse, a change to the rules of a pending case or a general reopening of court services. Individuals with cases scheduled in San Bernardino County should follow their official court notices and use the Superior Court website for up-to-date calendars and filing instructions.

In the same announcement, the Governor made additional judicial appointments in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Riverside-area neighboring counties and other parts of the state. California58 is covering Hoehn separately because the assignment directly affects San Bernardino County’s local judiciary.

Source: Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, Nov. 4, 2026.

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