San Diego

A South Bay Municipal Court judge was named Tuesday to preside in the trial of San Diego Municipal Judge Joseph Davis on a misdemeanor charge of beating his pregnant girlfriend.

Judge James Edmunds will conduct the trial beginning Feb. 4 in the downtown San Diego courthouse, according to Presiding Judge H. Ronald Domnitz of the San Diego Municipal Court.

“I think the citizens of San Diego are entitled to a trial without even an appearance of impropriety,” Domnitz said in announcing the arrangements for the proceedings. “That only can be accomplished by selecting a judge from another jurisdiction.”

Domnitz said he had solicited suggestions for judges to hear the case from the presiding judges of the Vista, El Cajon and South Bay municipal courts, and that Edmunds--who does not know Davis--had been the nominee of South Bay Presiding Judge Thomas Gligorea.

Neither Jan Ronis, Davis’ defense attorney, nor Deputy City Atty. Casey Gwinn raised any objection to the arrangements.

Davis is accused of battery on his live-in girlfriend, Anna Monica Garcia, during a quarrel in November. Garcia initially made a citizen’s arrest of Davis and sought a restraining order to keep him away from her and their home. Subsequently, she declined to cooperate with prosecutors. Ronis says she has retracted her allegations and again is living amicably with Davis.