Today, Governor Edmund G. Brown announced the appointment of Michael Camber and Michelle H. Gilleece to judgeships in the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino. 

Michael A. Camber, 57, of Brea, has served as a chief deputy public defender at the San Bernardino County Public Defender's Office since 2013, where he was supervising deputy public defender from 2006 to 2013. He served as senior deputy alternate defender at the Orange County Alternate Defender's Office from 2003 to 2006, where he was a deputy alternate defender from 1996 to 2003. Camber was a sole practitioner from 1990 to 1996, an associate at Hill Genson Even Crandall and Wade from 1989 to 1990 and a deputy public defender at the Orange County Public Defender's Office from 1986 to 1989. He earned a Master of Public Administration degree from California State University, San Bernardino, a Juris Doctor degree from the Pepperdine University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Barbara A. Buchholz. Camber is a Democrat. Michelle H. Gilleece, 47, of Riverside, has been a partner at Friedman and Gilleece since 2004. She was a partner at the Law Offices of Gilleece Pico and Stockdale from 2012 to 2013, an adjunct professor at the University of La Verne, College of Law in 2011 and an assistant to the mayor in the Riverside Mayor's Office from 2003 to 2004. Gilleece was assistant director at the International Place of the Claremont Colleges from 2000 to 2001 and an associate at Platt and Buescher from 1996 to 2000. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Tulane University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Claremont McKenna College. She fills the vacancy created by the death of Judge Brian Saunders. Gilleece is a Democrat. 

Presiding Judge Raymond L. Haight III said of the appointments, “We are pleased to receive appointments to our bench. These appointments are a welcome addition to our court. There are two vacancies currently remaining and there will be two more vacancies created on January 1, 2018, as a result of the reallocation of judgeships under AB103. Additional judicial vacancies are anticipated next year as a result of retirements.” 

The San Bernardino Superior Court has an overall need of 46 additional judicial officers and currently has one judge for every approximately 30,000 residents - one of the highest ratios in the State. These appointments will allow the court to reopen courtrooms that were closed due to lack of judgeships, reduce calendar sizes, and improve access to our courts. 

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