Scoville Named to State Appeals Court

Orange County Superior Court Judge Harmon G. Scoville, a former corporate lawyer who has served 20 years on the bench, was appointed Monday by Gov. George Deukmejian to be presiding justice of the county’s branch of the 4th District Court of Appeal.

Scoville, the current presiding judge of the county’s Superior Court and a self-described Republican conservative, will replace Justice John K. Trotter Jr., who retired Aug. 31.

“I’m excited,” Scoville, 64, said Monday. “I’m most appreciative of the opportunity. I’ve been a Municipal Court judge for 20 months of my career, then a Superior Court judge for over 19 years, and I think this is going to be a very, very interesting step.”

Scoville’s appointment is subject to confirmation by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, which is made up of California Supreme Court Chief Justice Malcolm M. Lucas, Atty. Gen. John Van de Kamp and 4th District Presiding Justice Daniel Kramer of San Diego.

Would Join Brown Appointees

If confirmed, Scoville will take over as administrative head of the four-justice court, which hears appeals of cases decided in Orange County Superior Court. The other three justices--Thomas F. Crosby Jr., Sheila Prell Sonenshine and Edward J. Wallen--were appointed with Trotter by then-Gov. Jerry Brown when the branch was created in 1982.

In addition to the Santa Ana branch, the 4th District Court has branches in San Diego and San Bernardino.

Scoville, a graduate of UCLA and Stanford Law School, was appointed to Orange County Municipal Court by then-Gov. Ronald Reagan in 1967. Less than two years later, Reagan promoted him to Superior Court.

Before becoming a judge more than 20 years ago, Scoville worked for the Los Angeles firm of Trippet, Newcomer, Yoakum and Thomas and was a partner in the the Westminster firm of Hanna and Scoville. He also had a private practice in Westminster for nine years.

During his career as a lawyer, Scoville said, he handled just a handful of criminal cases. A lifelong Republican, he said he considers himself a judicial conservative.

He said he has dismissed criminal cases because “the law wasn’t followed” and has been ordered to dismiss others by the appellate courts. But in general, he said, he believes the U.S. criminal justice system has tilted too far in favor of the accused.

“Defendants are entitled to certain rights under the Constitution, but law-abiding citizens have certain rights too,” Scoville said. “The law has sometimes gotten out of kilter. Some justices throughout the nation sometimes have not recognized the rights of the good law-abiding citizens.”

Scoville said he had not expected to get the chance to serve as an appellate justice because the four Brown appointees were relatively young. Trotter, 53, quit the bench to join a private arbitration service.

“I always thought with Justice Trotter . . . and the other justices being so young, there would be no openings,” he said.

Scoville said he intends to serve “several years” on the appellate bench. At 64, he arrives at the court at 6:45 a.m. and stays until at least 5:30 p.m., because, he said, “I enjoy the work.”

But the judge indicated he would probably retire at age 70, because if he works beyond then he would lose a third of his state pension.

Scoville lives in Anaheim Hills with his wife, Lura. He has three sons and two daughters by a previous marriage. The appellate court post pays $93,272 a year.

Scoville’s Superior Court position will be filled by a separate gubernatorial appointment.