Deukmejian Names 4 to Superior Court Bench

Gov. George Deukmejian on Tuesday appointed a Municipal Court judge and three lawyers to fill four open positions on the San Diego Superior Court.

Deukmejian promoted Municipal Judge William D. Mudd of San Diego to the Superior Court. The governor had appointed Mudd to the Municipal Court in 1985.

Also appointed were lawyers Kevin W. Midlam of Solana Beach, James R. Milliken of San Diego and Christine V. Pate of Coronado.

Mudd, Midlam and Milliken are all former deputy city attorneys in San Diego.

Mudd, 43, replaces Judge Thomas Duffy, who retired.

Before becoming a Municipal Court judge, Mudd served three years as a San Diego County court commissioner. A graduate of California Western University and the Hastings College of Law, Mudd worked from 1972 until 1982 with the San Diego law firm of Sickels, Chialtas and Mudd.

Midlam, 43, will fill a newly created position on the court.

Midlam graduated from Willamette University and earned his law degree from the same school. He has been in private practice with several San Diego firms since 1965, most recently with the firm of Ault, Midlam & Deuprey.

Milliken, 44, will also fill a newly created position.

Milliken has been with the firm of McInnis, Fitzgerald, Rees, Sharkey & McIntyre since 1971. He graduated from Occidental College and received his law degree from California Western.

Pate will replace Judge Franklin Orfield, who has retired.

Pate has been an attorney for the San Diego firm of Jennings, Engstrand & Henrikson since 1971.

She graduated from UC Berkeley and the University of San Diego law school.