Logo courtesy of Sacramento Superior Court

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – Gov. Gavin Newsom announced five appointments to the Sacramento Superior Court bench on Wednesday Nov. 4.

The appointments included: Michele Beckwith of Yolo County; Jasmine Turner-Bond of Placer County; Matthew Lee of Sacramento County; Alicia Hartley of Sacramento County; and Heath Langle of Placer County.

These appointments fill five existing judicial vacancies on the Sacramento County Superior Court bench as of Oct. 2026.

“We are grateful to Governor Newsom for his appointment of these judicial officers to the Sacramento County bench,” said Presiding Judge Lawrence G. Brown. “We welcome our newest judicial officers and look forward to the contributions they will make to the court and the people of Sacramento County.”

Michele Beckwith has served as a Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary at the Office of Governor Newsom since 2025. She served in various roles at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including as a First Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2022 to 2025, as the Criminal Division Chief from 2019 to 2022, as an Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2016 to 2019 and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2010 to 2016. Beckwith served as a Law Clerk in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2008 to 2010 and in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California from 2006 to 2008. Beckwith worked as an Associate at Downey Brand from 2005 to 2006. She worked as an Associate at Baker Hostetler from 2003 to 2004. Beckwith received a Juris Doctor Degree from the Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Lauri Damrell to the Court of Appeal.

Jasmine Turner-Bond has served as a Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary at the Office of Governor Newsom since 2019. Turner-Bond served as a Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary at the Office of Governor Jerry Brown from 2018 to 2019. She served as a Hearing Officer and Staff Attorney at the California Victim Compensation Board from 2014 to 2018. Turner-Bond worked as a panel attorney at the Appellate Defender’s Inc. from 2013 to 2017. Turner-Bond received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Donald J. Currier. 

Matthew Lee has served as a Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary in the Office of Governor Newsom since 2024. He served as General Counsel for the California Department of Cannabis Control from 2021 to 2024. Lee served as a Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary at the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom from 2019 to 2021. He served as a Deputy City Attorney at the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office from 2016 to 2019. Lee served as a Law Clerk in various courts, including the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California from 2015 to 2016 and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2013 to 2015. Lee received a Juris Doctor Degree from Yale Law School. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Maryanne G. Gillard. 

Alicia Hartley has served as a Commissioner at the Sacramento County Superior Court since 2022. She served as an Assistant Public Defender at the Sacramento Public Defender’s Office from 2004 to 2022. Hartley received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Delbert Oros.

Heath Langle has been appointed to serve in an interim appointment as a Judge, allowing him to immediately assume the position he was otherwise elected to begin in Jan. 2027. Langle has served as a Commissioner at the Sacramento Superior Court since 2023. He worked as an Attorney at Bold, Polisner, Maddow, Nelson, & Judson from 2021 to 2023. He also worked as an Attorney at Hackard Law from 2020 to 2021. Langle worked as a Sole Practitioner at the Law Office of Heath T. Langle from 2014 to 2020. He worked as an Associate at various firms including at Wagner, Kirkman, Blaine, Klomparens, and Youmans from 2013 to 2014, at La Follette, Johnson, DeHaas, Fesler, & Ames from 2011 to 2012 and at Porter Scott from 2008 to 2010. He was the owner at the Law Office of Heath T. Langle from 2006 to 2008. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge James McFetridge.