Judge Russell L. Hom - 2021 SCBA Judge of the Year

Richard K. Sueyoshi

Judge of the Superior Court, Sacramento County

Judge Russell L. Hom

2021 SCBA JUDGE OF THE YEAR

By Judge Richard K. Sueyoshi

A Persevering Leader in an Unprecedented Time

As the hours passed on Thursday, March 19, 2020, Sacramento Superior Court Presiding Judge Russell Hom swiftly moved through a series of meetings and phone calls while confronted with a question that no Presiding Judge before him had ever faced: Should he order the immediate closure of all Sacramento Superior Court facilities to protect the health and safety of jurors, parties, attorneys, court employees and the general public in face of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Judge Hom recalls the uniquely turbulent time for the court and community: “At that very early stage, there was confusion regarding the extent of the public health “Judge Hom is the epitome of what you want in a judicial officer. He is a total class act, calm, balanced, never gets flustered, and has a sense of humor.”

Roger Dreyer of Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood Campora LLP.

“His skill and ability as a trial judge, settlement judge, and judicial administrator meet the highest of standards and serve as a template for those who follow in his path.”

David Mastagni of Mastagni

Holstedt. risk. My decision needed to be based upon the science and protecting the health and safety of our court personnel and the public. While we had previously taken important steps to reduce our capacity, my final decision to close our buildings came after many consultations and a final walk through the main courthouse assessing the risks. I decided that we needed to close our buildings and immediately work on creating safer alternatives for delivering court services to the public.”

Judge Hom’s unprecedented decision proved to be the right one as the Sacramento County Public Health Officer issued its “stay-athome order” on the same day amid the state of emergency previously declared by the President and Governor. From the moment of the court closure, emergency services continued uninterrupted through a single department — Judge Hom’s own courtroom. Judge Hom immediately shifted the court leadership’s focus on developing new and innovative ways to provide court services that would also protect the health and safety of everyone involved. This led to the development and implementation of remote technology-based hearings which continue to be used courtwide. Under Judge Hom’s steady leadership, the Sacramento Superior Court recreated and reopened nearly all services under new protocols providing a high level of service balanced with public health orders and guidelines.

Attorneys and judges widely commend Judge Hom’s ongoing leadership during what has been the most trying time for the court. Karen Goodman, ABOTA President for the Sacramento Valley Chapter, observed that Judge Hom’s “leadership in an unprecedented situation has been outstanding.” “Since his appointment to the bench in 2002, Judge Hom has been regarded as an outstanding judge who continues to promote the importance of a fair legal system accessible to everyone.” Mark Slaughter, Supervising Attorney at the Office of the Public Defender, described Judge Hom as a “ubiquitous champion of the legal system, spending countless hours meeting with judges, lawyers, bar organizations, county agencies, and public groups to openly discuss the solutions to many challenges presented by social justice demonstrations and the COVID-19 pandemic.” Court CEO Judge Lloyd

Young Russell Hom (front row, far left) with family and friends

Judge Hom, Judge Raoul Thorbourne, Justice Elena Duarte and Judge Thadd Blizzard Judge Hom and Justice Art Scotland (Ret.)

Connelly (Ret.) commented, “Judge Hom remained calm and demonstrated his profound wisdom during the global pandemic. With a steady keel, he kept fundamental and necessary court services up and running while he piloted this court through troubled waters.” Judge Hom’s own colleagues similarly described the value of his leadership, as Judge Shama Mesiwala stated, “what we have gained as a legal community has been priceless: a functioning superior court that has thrived during the pandemic in providing effective access to justice for all while remaining vigilant of the health threat.”

An Exemplary Jurist and Problem-Solver

After graduating from Hastings College of Law and practicing for two decades as a prosecutor, criminal defense attorney, and civil litigation and trial attorney, Judge Hom joined the Sacramento Superior Court in 2002. Since joining the bench, Judge Hom has presided over hundreds of trials including some of the most difficult and complex cases.

Judge Hom says that he approaches each case as a problem-solver with an eye towards facilitating the resolution of disputes whenever possible. In exploring potential settlement in civil cases, for instance, Judge Hom stated, “it is important for me to have a clear understanding of the motivation of each party. Often what is driving the respective positions of the parties is not directly tied to money. It is important for the parties to know that I understand their needs and can be trusted in assessing their case and advocating for a resolution that is reasonable from the perspectives of all sides.” Attorney Jeffrey Williams described his experience with Judge Hom in resolving a difficult dispute: “The parties were miles apart, and I had no hope at all that the case was going to settle. But Judge Hom’s tenacity and his stubborn refusal to take ‘no’ for an answer proved me wrong. In short, he’s a fantastic settlement judge.”

When cases proceed to trial, Judge Hom is lauded for his outstanding skills as a trial judge. As conveyed by trial attorney Paul Marron, Judge Hom’s “intellectual curiosity, attention to detail, mastery of the legal issues and engagement on the case was deeply appreciated by all counsel. Amongst experienced trial attorneys, he was the best, most insightful observer of testimony in the courtroom. It was a privilege to try a case in his department.” Indeed, Judge Hom’s skills as a trial judge are widely respected as Judge Geoffrey Goodman noted, “for years, he has trained our newly appointed judges and he often lectures in judicial training programs throughout the state.”

A Champion of Diversity and the Community

Judge Hom has always viewed his role and responsibility to ex-

“I am familiar with Judge Hom’s performance as a trial judge and it is outstanding,” commented Justice Ronald Robie of the Third District Court of Appeal. “Judge Hom is a pillar of our greater legal community, a highlyrespected jurist and a clear-eyed and ethical leader”

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Larry Brown.

tend far beyond presiding over cases. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Hom took leadership roles in many non-profit community and professional organizations and received national awards and honors for his service. Since he joined the court, Judge Hom’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and the community continued unchanged: “As a judicial officer, I understood my obligation extended beyond the four walls of the courthouse and with this position came a responsibility to the community. I value the importance of serving as a mentor to others and using what equity I may have to promote a profession and judiciary that is diverse and inclusive.”

In reflecting on Judge Hom’s community service, Attorney Jerry Chong commented, “his thoughtfulness and courteous emphasis on diversity, equality and inclusion have advanced the administration of justice in Sacramento County, local law schools and the judiciary.” Similarly, Judge Judy Hersher observed, “while his work at the court and in the community over the years in support of minority law student programs, training and educational opportunities has never wavered, this past year has proven him a strong, thoughtful and highly effective Presiding Judge in very, very challenging times impacting the very same minority communities.” Attorney Andre Campbell commented, “Judge Hom is well-known in the Sacramento legal community and beyond for his unswerving commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.” UC Davis law student Kristi Thielen added, “I am one of the hundreds of students and practitioners who consider Judge Hom a mentor. He has also become my career coach, confidant, and number one supporter. There is no doubt that Judge Hom places great time and value into the legal profession’s future.” These well-deserved accolades are among many that reflect Judge Hom’s invaluable commitment and contribution to our community.

Judge Hom and Judge Sueyoshi

SCBA’s 2021 Judge of the Year

While Judge Hom’s excellent leadership through the past year is widely acknowledged, he readily credits Lloyd Connelly, his supervising judges, colleagues and staff. Judge Hom notes, “the most important lesson that we learned is that when faced with a crisis, we can persevere. Our ability to keep a functioning legal system open during the pandemic was due to the dedicated public servants who work for the court and the legal community that worked collaboratively with us to get through the worst of the crisis.”

On a more personal note, although his “spare time” has been scarce in the past year, Judge Hom enjoys spending time with his wife, Shirley, his soon-to-be-college-bound daughter, Kristi, and his mother and extended family in the Bay Area.

As demonstrated by Presiding Judge Russell Hom’s exemplary leadership and judicial career, the Sacramento County Bar Association has made an excellent selection for its 2021 Judge of the Year.