Attorney Appointed to Superior Court Bench

Gov. Pete Wilson on Wednesday appointed Villa Park attorney Stuart T. Waldrip to an Orange County Superior Court judgeship.

Waldrip, 57, who has been practicing civil law for 29 years, replaces Judge Leonard Goldstein, who retired during the summer. The appointment starts Dec. 26, and the seat is up for election in 1998.

“I’ve been a litigator for 29 years, and for the last 20, I’ve always had it in my mind to end my career on the bench,” Waldrip said.

There are drawbacks to the appointment for the father of seven.

“It’s a very substantial pay cut, and we’ve had to make preparations as a family to undergo the trimmings that will take place,” he said.

The position pays $107,000 a year, about $200,000 less than Waldrip said he currently earns.

Waldrip was born in Long Beach and has lived in Orange County since 1967. He attended Stanford University and law school at the University of Utah. He speaks German and Spanish.

During the last 20 years, Waldrip has served as a temporary judge and arbitrator in Superior Court. He isn’t sure what department he’ll preside over yet, but expects to start out in civil court, where it is likely that he will meet former opponents.

“I am told that you become a judge very quickly and that old rivalries disappear,” he said.