Assemblyman Ed Chau. (Kevin Sanders for California Globe)
Gov. Newsom Appoints Assemblyman Ed Chau as LA County Superior Court Judge
Chau becomes first sitting Assemblyman since 1980 to be appointed to a judgeship
By Evan Symon, November 30, 2021 2:17 am
Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Assemblyman Ed Chau (D-Arcadia) as a Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge on Monday, making Chau the first sitting lawmaker since 1980 to be appointed to a judgeship in the state.
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Assemblyman Chau, a Southwestern University School of Law educated lawyer who served as a Montebello Unified School District Trustee from 2000 to 2012, when he was first elected to the Assembly, was scheduled to be termed out of office in 2024 if reelected again next year. However, the retirement of Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Robert Perry earlier this year led to Governor Newsom looking at different candidate avenues other than the normal straight-from-lawyer route that Governors usually take.
In a statement on Monday, Chau thanked Newsom, and added that “I will miss my legislative Colleagues. Representing the 49th district has been a true honor and privilege.”
Chau’s appointment now leaves the 49th Assembly district, which covers the San Gabriel Valley area outside of Los Angeles, open to a special election next year. The term will go to near the end of the year where the winner of the November general election race will be sworn-in.
As a Democratic-majority district with a 54% Asian majority population, the race is expected to bring out a wide variety of candidates. Several candidates had already filed to run after Chau left, including Los Angeles Community College District Trustee Mike Fong and San Gabriel city Councilman Jason Pu. Fong in particular already had an endorsement by Chau, as well as Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA).
“Newsom picked a guy who generally aligns with his own political beliefs, who is in a safe Democratic Assembly district with multiple Democratic candidates chomping at the bit to replace him,” said Paul Schroeder, an LA County campaign advisor, to the Globe on Monday. “The big thing he did that got him name recognition was the consumer privacy laws he got passed, as well as measures that protected children. For a Democrat, these were more middle of the road laws that required working across the aisle, which is one of the reasons Newsom probably liked him. Most appointees are lawyers or in DA or County justice positions.”
“Also, with an election next year coming off a recall election, Newsom doesn’t want to give any ammunition to other candidates with far-left appointments. He’s picking safer people, and Chau is certainly one of them.”
In addition to Chau’s appointment on Monday, Newsom appointed 10 other Superior Court judges in eight different counties, including multiple appointments in LA and Sacramento Counties. He also nominated Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Laurie Earl to fill a Third District Court of Appeal Vacancy.
Prior to Chau, the last sitting Assemblyman to be elevated to a court position was in 1980, when then-Governor Jerry Brown appointed Assemblyman William McVittie to the San Bernardino County Superior Court.
The date of Chau’s resignation from the Assembly, as well as the date of the special Assembly election in the 49th District, have yet to be announced as of late Monday night.
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California Democrat Assemblyman Ed Chau tried to criminalize “fake news” by pushing a bill known as the California Political Cyberfraud Abatement Act which would have curtailed free speech for everyone from parodies to comedies to opinion writers. Chau pulled his bill shortly before a hearing after long ignoring the outcry for civil libertarians that he was threatening core free speech value with his poorly drafted and poorly conceived measure. Chau is a lawyer who appears to have missed basic constitutional law as a course at Southwestern University School of Law? He should not be a LA County Superior Court Judge considering his totalitarian CCP outlook on civil liberties?
“Newsom picked a guy who generally aligns with his own political beliefs, who is in a safe Democratic Assembly district with multiple Democratic candidates chomping at the bit to replace him,” said Paul Schroeder, an LA County campaign advisor, to the Globe on Monday”
What could go wrong ?? Another nail in the political coffin of California.
Wonderful. He just appointed an anti-free speech Communist as a judge, and that’s my opinion, so eat my shorts Chau.