Two Judges Named to Superior Court
Gov. Gray Davis has appointed two Orange County lawyers to the county’s Superior Court. They are Derek Guy Johnson of Corona del Mar and Richard David Fybel of Newport Beach.
The appointments, announced Tuesday, are to fill seats vacated by judges Cecil Hicks and Robert J. Polis, respectively, both of whom retired.
Johnson, 48, served as an Orange County deputy district attorney from 1979 to 1987, during which he prosecuted criminal offenses including drunk driving, robbery, rape, child molestation and murder.
Except for a two-year stint as an attorney for Thrifty Corp., he has had his own practice since leaving the district attorney’s office. His practice has generally been involved in the defense of tort cases, including wrongful termination, discrimination and false arrest.
Fybel, 53, has specialized in business litigation in state and federal courts during his 28-year legal career.
He also has extensive experience in mediation, arbitration and other forms of alternate dispute resolution.
The two new judges will each receive an annual salary of $117,912.
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