For the third time since October, the Santa Barbara County Superior Court has gained a new judge.
On Thursday afternoon, Assistant Presiding Judge Patricia Kelly presided over the swearing-in ceremony for new Judge Karen O’Neil as her family, friends and co-workers watched.
Several of O’Neil’s new judicial colleagues also sat in the jury seats for the ceremony.
The new judge’s appointment was announced March 30, with the delay in assuming her new job allowing time for her to wrap up existing cases.
O’Neil had been president and managing shareholder since 2017 at Kirk & Simas PLC, where she held several positions from 2011 to 2017, including shareholder and associate. She also created a niche representing cemetery districts in the state.
Kelly recalled meeting O’Neill in 2017 during the Bench-Bar meetings, or regular gatherings of local judges and attorneys to hash out issues affecting the criminal and civil justice system.
“She was articulate. She was invested. She was willing to volunteer at the drop of a hat for anything that the bench and the bar needed,” Kelly said.
Kelly recalled telling Court Executive Officer Darrel Parker, “This person has everything necessary to be a phenomenal judge. Why is she not applying?”
In November 2021, O’Neil reached out to Kelly, leading to the formal application for judge.
“It has been a journey that I have been so happy to walk with Karen on to get to this point because Karen is one of those unique individuals who has everything you would want in a colleague, a judge and a friend,” Kelly said.
“I cannot think of a better person to say welcome to the bench than to Karen O’Neil.”
As O’Neil donned her black robe to take the oath of office, Kelly offered up some non-legal but definitely practical advice to the new jurist: “You always want to get snaps, not zippers.”
O’Neil noted support of her family and law firm colleagues, many of whom attended the ceremony.
“I want to thank all of you for the different ways that you helped me on this path,” O’Neil said.
She also expressed appreciation for judges who had carved out time to share their own experiences in making the switch from attorney to jurist.
“I’m just so excited to be a colleague with you. This is an amazing county, an amazing bench and I’m just honored …,” she said. “I’m looking forward to this new role that I’ll be in and serving the community in this new way.”
O’Neil was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Timothy Staffel last summer after 24 years on the bench. Staffel has remained to help handle some civil cases as the courts continue to chip away at a backlog of cases that built up during the pandemic.
Coincidentally, both Staffel and O’Neil earned their law degrees from the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law, Kelly noted.
Her appointment follows the addition of two other judges.
In October, a swearing-in ceremony took place for Judge Stephen Foley, who had served as a court commissioner most recently. In December, Judge Denise Hippach took the oath of office after previously working for the Santa Barbara County Counsel’s Office handling juvenile court matters.
Vacancies still remain, however. North County Judge Arthur Garcia, who had presided over juvenile court cases, and Santa Barbara Judge Brian Hill have retired.
An attorney who appeared often in Santa Barbara County court cases also was named to fill a San Luis Obispo County Superior Court vacancy in early January. Catherine Swysen was managing partner of the Sanger Swysen & Dunkle law firm.
Judicial appointments are made by Gov. Gavin Newsom after an extensive review process. On May 19, the state announced nominations to fill 27 Superior Court judge seats in counties across the state, but none in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo or Ventura counties.