Notices

Superior Court of California
County of Riverside
4050 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501

MEDIA ADVISORY

January 2, 2008
Contact: Richard T. Fields, Presiding Judge
(951) 955-5536
(electronic version available at:
http://riverside.courts.ca.gov/newsmedia/newsmedia.htm )

CIVIL TRIALS TO BEGIN

The Riverside County Superior Court is pleased to announce that the court will begin conducting civil trials
this month at the recently vacated Hawthorne Elementary School in Riverside at 9174 Indiana Avenue.

According to Judicial Council records, with a shortage of 57 judicial officers, Riverside has the largest deficit
of judges in the state. "Despite this challenge, the court is determined to meet its number one goal of
providing fair and expeditious access to justice for all residents of the county -- and that includes our civil
litigants," stated Presiding Judge Richard T. Fields.

The court has begun the process of transforming eight classrooms into three courtrooms, judges'
chambers, conference room, and jury voir dire and deliberation rooms. Court personnel have already been
selected for the site. The temporary courtrooms will have all the technology of a modern courtroom, such as
Elmo's, document cameras that help attorneys with their case presentation, and CourtCall, a telephonic
appearance service.

In September of last year, Presiding Judge Richard Fields and Assistant Presiding Judge Thomas
Cahraman met with Justice Richard Huffman, of the 4th District Court of Appeal and Sheila Calabro of the
Administrative Office of the Courts, and received their unequivocal support to provide three additional judges
to meet the court's goal of access to civil justice. The three assigned judges will begin hearing civil trials on
January 14, 2008.

Superior Court of California
County of Riverside
4050 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501

NEWS ADVISORY

December 3, 2007
Contact: Richard T. Fields, Presiding Judge
(951) 955-5536
(electronic version available at:
http://riverside.courts.ca.gov/newsmedia/newsmedia.htm

NEW COMMISSIONERS JOIN THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT

RIVERSIDE COUNTY: The court is pleased to announce that three new judicial officers have joined the
Riverside County Superior Court. Lawrence Best, Bradley Snell, and Tamara Wagner were recently selected
to serve as court commissioners for the court.

Lawrence P. Best comes to the court from the Riverside County District Attorney's Office where he began his
career as a prosecutor in 1983. He served as a deputy district attorney in Indio until 1997, handling felony
jury trials and the supervision of municipal court deputy district attorneys for the department. In 1997, Best
left the district attorney's office to serve as a court commissioner with the Riverside County Superior Court in
Indio from 1997 to 1998. While with the court, he presided over traffic court, small claims, unlawful
detainers, misdemeanor trials, a criminal law and motion calendar, and preliminary hearings before
returning to the district attorney's' office in late 1998. Since his return to the district attorney's office as a
deputy district attorney in 1998, Best has been responsible for filing and prosecuting criminal cases as well
as supervising and training new attorneys. Best earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal law from
California State University, Fullerton and a Juris Doctorate degree from University of California, Los Angeles
School of Law.

Bradley O. Snell, who also comes from the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, began his legal career
with that office in 1991. As a deputy district attorney, he handled a wide range of criminal cases and
completed over 50 jury trials. He served as trial team leader for the department's drug unit, handling cases
from the filing stage through the sentencing phase. He also mentored young attorneys joining the district
attorney's office and trained district attorneys throughout the county how to establish effective drug
prosecutions. Snell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism from Brigham Young
University and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Arizona College of Law.

Tamara L. Wagner, who was in private practice prior to her selection as court commissioner, began her
legal career as an associate with the law firm of Julander, Brown & Bollard in Irvine California, where she
handled civil and criminal litigation and conducted Workers Compensation hearings from 1997 until 1998.
From 1998 to 1999, Wagner was an associate with the Fountain Valley law firm of Bridgman, Mordkin &
Shapiro, handling misdemeanor and felony criminal matters, federal criminal matters, and family law cases.
In 1999, she joined the Riverside firm of Wallin & Klarich, where she handled misdemeanor and felony
cases, juvenile criminal matters, and family law cases, while also serving as a temporary judge for the
Riverside County Superior Court. Ms. Wagner earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice from
California State University, Fullerton and a Juris Doctorate degree from Whittier Law School in Los Angeles.

Commenting on the new commissioners, Presiding Judge Richard Fields stated, "We're thrilled to have
these outstanding lawyers join us a judicial officers of the Riverside County Superior Court."

Subject: Riverside Superior Courts Strategic Plan for 2007-2012

E-Mail Subscribers:

Please be advised that the Riverside County Superior Courts Strategic Plan for 2007-2012 is located on the
court's website.
Here is a link to the plan:

http://riverside.courts.ca.gov/strategicplan.htm

Notices