Residents of Yolo County will have a rare opportunity in the June 2 primary to decide who will serve as judge on the Superior Court.
Superior Court judges in California oversee the trial courts that handle the vast majority of legal disputes, including criminal cases, civil lawsuits, family law matters, juvenile cases and probate proceedings. Judges rule on evidence and legal motions, oversee trials, approve plea agreements and sentencing, and in many cases help determine outcomes that directly affect public safety.
Superior Court judges are elected by county voters and typically serve six-year terms with few races being contested. Most judges are usually appointed by the governor to fill a vacancy mid-term. But with Judge Janene Beronio retiring at the end of her term, voters get to decide.
Voters will choose between Ryan Davis, a Sacramento County court commissioner and Diane Ortiz, who has spent the last 15 years as a deputy district attorney in Yolo County.
CapRadio interviewed both candidates about their legal backgrounds, judicial philosophies and more.
Ryan Davis
Notable endorsements: Mike Thompson - Congressman, CA-04 (Yolo), Yolo County Sheriff Tom Lopez, The Sacramento Bee.
Ryan Davis currently serves as a court commissioner in Sacramento County Superior Court, but he’s called Yolo County home for over four decades growing up in Davis and attending local public schools before earning his law degree from UC Berkeley School of Law in 2009 where he also served as an adjunct professor.
Davis said he spent his legal career preparing for the bench working in criminal law, civil litigation and judicial service in family court.
“Public service was always my calling,” Davis said, tracing his interest in law back to studying philosophy and criminal justice questions as a college student. “I never really considered anything else.”
Inspired by civil rights and post-conviction attorney Bryan Stevenson, Davis entered law school intending to become a public defender and work on death penalty cases.
He said that path led him through county, state and federal public defense work before transitioning into civil litigation at the California Department of Justice and eventually becoming a court commissioner for the Sacramento Superior Court, a role that shares similar tasks as a judge.
“I’ve now spent years presiding over cases, making decisions, ruling on objections, managing a calendar,” Davis said. “I think with that breadth of experience and the fact that it includes judicial experience, I’m ready to serve Yolo County in any assignment.”
Now running for a seat on the Yolo County Superior Court, Davis is campaigning on what he calls his three core commitments: compassion, integrity and justice.
“Compassion is seeing their humanity and their inherent dignity and treating them accordingly,” Davis said. “Integrity is to do the job that you've been trusted to do and don't do anything other than that. Justice is of course the commitment to the overall not just outcome, but the process that ensures that everyone is treated fairly.”
Much of Davis’ current work happens in family law courtrooms, where he said judicial temperament matters as much as legal knowledge.
“If you’re quick to have your temper rise, you might have a hard time remaining calm,” Davis said. “Remaining calm yourself as the judicial officer helps keep the temperature down in the room more generally.”
Davis emphasized the importance of making litigants feel heard even when the court rules against them.
“As the judicial officer, you need to make some effort to make people feel comfortable enough that they can get out what they need to get out so that they can feel heard, but also so that you can get the information you need to make a good decision,” Davis said.
He also pointed to the less-visible work judges perform behind the scenes, including reviewing case files, researching legal issues and serving on statewide judicial committees. Davis currently serves as an advisory member on the California Judicial Council, the administrative body that oversees the state court system.
On challenges facing courts, Davis acknowledged that California court systems continue to deal with heavy caseloads and strained resources. He added judges often need to balance fairness with efficiency, avoiding unnecessary delays that can clog court calendars.
“Efficiency really is a key aspect of the solution,” he said.
Outside the courtroom, Davis has served on the City of Davis Human Relations Commission and participated in Yolo County’s Neighborhood Court restorative justice program. As a Yolo County native, he said his ties to the region are central to his campaign.
“Yolo County is where I grew up. It’s where I live and raise my own kids now,” Davis said. “I love this community.”
Diane Ortiz
Notable endorsements: Judge Janene Beronio - Yolo County Superior Court, Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig, Yolo County Deputy Sheriffs Association.
For Diane Ortiz, a career in public service began long before she entered a courtroom.
The Yolo County Superior Court candidate originally planned to become a California Highway Patrol officer, joining the CHP Academy in 2001 before a serious leg injury forced her out of training. Instead of leaving public service behind, Ortiz transitioned into civilian roles within the agency, eventually working in legislative affairs reviewing proposed state legislation and its impact on the department.
But after nearly a decade with CHP, Ortiz said she wanted something more direct.
“I wanted boots on the ground,” Ortiz said. “I wanted to feel like I’m protecting people. I wasn't really getting that from behind a desk.”
That desire led Ortiz to law school while working full time. She attended night classes at Lincoln Law School before becoming a deputy district attorney, first in Shasta County and then in Yolo County in December 2010.
Ortiz said her years inside Yolo County courtrooms is what distinguishes her candidacy.
“For 16 years, I’ve been in the courtroom that I’m trying to now become a judge in,” she said. “It’s just kind of an elevation of service.”
Ortiz emphasized her trial experience and day-to-day courtroom presence. She described prosecutors not as advocates for a single client, but as “ministers of justice” tasked with balancing public safety, fairness and due process.
“We’re not there to appease other people,” Ortiz said. “It’s to do what’s right and just.”
Her current role in Yolo County’s Child Abduction Unit has also given her experience in family law court where she works on custody enforcement and interstate child recovery cases.
Ortiz also highlighted her work in Yolo County’s addiction intervention and mental health courts, where defendants receive treatment-focused services rather than traditional prosecution pathways.
She said those experiences shaped the judicial philosophy she would bring to the bench: “integrity, fairness, compassion and empathy.”
Ortiz emphasized the importance of courtroom demeanor and judicial temperament, arguing that judges set the tone for everyone in the room.
“If I lose my patience or become dismissive, then that will allow others to display those same qualities,” Ortiz said. “It's very important for a judge to remain calm, but also firm ”
On broader court challenges, Ortiz acknowledged frustrations over crowded dockets and limited courtroom resources, including recent controversy surrounding Yolo County judge dismissing two criminal cases tied to courtroom shortages. She said improving efficiency and case management will be critical for courts moving forward.
Like her opponent, Ortiz emphasized preparation as one of the most important qualities for a judge.
“It’s frustrating when you walk into court and you find out that the judge hasn’t read the briefs,” Ortiz said. “Preparation is probably the number one characteristic for a judge.”
Ortiz also spoke about representation in the judicial system, noting that she was the first Latina prosecutor in the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office. She said diversity on the bench can help build trust in communities that may feel disconnected from the legal system.
“Being a woman of color is not a qualification. Working in the trenches of the judicial system for 16 years is,” Ortiz said. “But it's those lived experiences of being Latina that gives me a broader perspective and that allows me to kind of build that trust. And really it comes with allowing people to feel heard.”
This is one of 10 judge positions that make up the Yolo County Superior Court. Election day is June 2.
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