Judge to Retire After 20 Years on Bench

Frank D. Domenichini, the senior member of the Superior Court bench, announced Friday that he will not seek reelection in June and will retire later this year.

Domenichini, 66, was elevated to the Superior Court bench from Municipal Court in Laguna Niguel by Gov. Ronald Reagan in 1971. That makes his tenure the longest among current judges in Superior Court. Domenichini had been on the Laguna Niguel bench since 1969.

“Twenty years practicing law, 20 years on the bench; I just thought this was the right time to change careers,” Domenichini said.

The judge said he will work part time doing mediation and arbitration work, and will sit as a judge on assignment.

“I just needed more time to travel and be with my family,” the judge said.

Domenichini’s biggest case in recent years was the California Angels’ lawsuit against the city of Anaheim over its plans to convert part of the parking lot for a business center in cooperation with owners of the Los Angeles Rams football team. It turned out to be the longest trial ever in the county--two years.

Essentially, Domenichini found that the city could develop part of the property, but assured that the Angels retained enough parking space that owner Gene Autry dropped his threat to move the baseball team to another city.

The non-jury trial was expected to be long, but it took far longer than anyone had predicted. It began in November, 1985, and ran until early 1988.

“I like long cases, but two years was a bit much,” Domenichini said. “I based my decision on the evidence before me. . . . You can only hope that both sides think you did a fair job.”

The judge said he will probably leave the bench about April 1.