## Quick Reference - **Court:** [[Courthouses/Santa Clara County/Family Justice Center Courthouse|Family Justice Center Courthouse]] - **Department:** 72 - **Phone:** (408) 534-5660 (Clerk), (408) 534-5665 (Reporter) ## Appearing Before Judge Delgado - **Settlement-Oriented:** Judge Delgado wants to ensure matters are truly resolved. She may offer backstop dates and will review [[Stipulation|stipulations]] before filing to suggest changes. - **Demeanor:** Incredibly pleasant. Enjoys family law and has said she finds it a joy compared to her criminal law background. - **Criminal Background:** Over 20 years as a [[Public Defender|public defender]] before taking the bench. This informs her approach to evaluating [[Credibility|credibility]] and [[Evidence|evidence]]. ## Background Judge Delgado was appointed to the Santa Clara County Superior Court by Governor Gavin Newsom on March 25, 2021, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Hon. Rise Jones Pichon. She won re-election in 2022, securing her position outright in the June 7 nonpartisan primary. Before taking the bench, Judge Delgado spent over two decades as a public defender. She served as an attorney at the Santa Clara County Alternate Defender's Office from 2009 to 2021 and in the Santa Clara County Public Defender's Office from 2001 to 2009. She was named Attorney of the Year by the Public Defender's Office in 2014. Judge Delgado serves on the court's Executive Committee, Community Outreach Committee, Collaborative Court Committee, and Equality and Social Justice Committee. She is a member of the California Latino Judges Association and the International Association of LGBTQ+ Judges. **Education** - J.D., University of California, Berkeley School of Law - B.A. in Politics, University of California, Santa Cruz **Career Timeline** |Years|Position| |:--|:--| |2021–Present|Judge, Santa Clara County Superior Court| |2009–2021|Attorney, Santa Clara County Alternate Defender's Office| |2001–2009|Attorney, Santa Clara County Public Defender's Office| |1999–2001|Attorney, Monterey County Public Defender's Office| |1998–1999|Research Attorney, Law Offices of Paul Meltzer| |1997–1998|Law Clerk, Contra Costa County Public Defender's Office| |1997|Law Clerk, Federal Public Defender, Central District of California| **Honors** - Attorney of the Year, Santa Clara County Public Defender's Office (2014) ## Sources - [Trellis](https://trellis.law/judge/jessica.m.delgado) - [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jessica_Delgado) - [Santa Clara County Superior Court Press Release](https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/sites/default/files/santaclara/default/documents/pr-jessica-delgado-sworn-in-as-superior-court-judge.pdf) - [Mercury News, "Veteran public defender is Santa Clara County's newest judge," April 19, 2021](https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/04/19/veteran-public-defender-is-santa-clara-countys-newest-judge/) --- #Judicial-Officers #Judicial-Officers/Santa-Clara-County #Santa-Clara-County #Santa-Clara-County-Judicial-Officer