A Filipino American lawyer is now a sitting judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Adrian Gidaya Roxas, 43, was sworn in on Friday, Dec. 16 during an enrobing ceremony in Downtown Los Angeles attended by county judges and members of legal organizations and the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.
California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Roxas to serve as a judge in October, according to a release from the Governor’s Office.
The Fil-Am lawyer fills in the vacancy created by the appointment Judge Maame Frimpong to the federal bench.
“The only thing I remember was how grateful I was for the people who got me here — from the people who trusted in me, from the people who believed in me,” Roxas recalled in his speech during the reception. “There’s a lot of work that went into this appointments process, a lot of behind the scenes support.”
Prior to the judgeship, Roxas has been a partner at Roxas Law, a boutique law firm in Southern California, specializing in family law and victims’ rights.
He previously served as a prosecutor with the LA County District Attorney’s Office from 2007 to 2020, where he prosecuted and tried to verdict a wide array of crimes, from misdemeanors to serious/violent felonies, including sexual assault crimes, domestic violence, murder and special circumstance murders.
Roxas was joined by his wife Sandy, also a lawyer and founding partner of Roxas Law, their two daughters, his mother and extended family.
“[This] is a testament to how important it is to surround yourself with a community of people who uplift you and support you,” Roxas said. “I have been blessed to have that community throughout my entire life, as a young child and up until now as a judge.” (AJPress)
