August 26, 2023 – Superior Court Judge Anita Starchman Bryant announces her plan to seek election at the primary to be held in March of 2024.  Judge Bryant was originally appointed to office in August 2022 to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge F. Dana Walton.

Judge Bryant’s 22 years of combined experience as a judge and as an attorney working closely with individual clients in various areas of the law, along with her Mariposa upbringing, makes her uniquely qualified for this important position. 

Bryant’s candidacy is widely endorsed by county officials and law enforcement.  She is supported in her bid for election by Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese, Superior Court Judge Michael A. Fagalde, retired Superior Court Judge F. Dana Walton, recently retired Probation Chief Pete Judy, and the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Management Association and the Deputy Sheriff’s Association.  Her candidacy has also been endorsed by the last four elected Mariposa County Sheriffs Doug Binnewies, James H. Allen, C.A. (Pelk) Richards, and Roger N. Matlock, and current Mariposa County Supervisors Wayne Forsythe, Miles Menetrey, Shannon Poe, Rosemarie Smallcombe and Danette Toso.

Judge Bryant is currently the Assistant Presiding Judge of the Mariposa County Superior Court.  Since taking the bench, she has handled matters in all assignments, including felonies, misdemeanor arraignments, civil lawsuits, juvenile dependency and delinquency, traffic, and Behavioral Health court.  Judge Bryant presides over Drug Court in which a team of professionals work together providing intense treatment and supervision to help offenders achieve long-term recovery with the goal of decreasing future criminality.

Prior to her judicial appointment in 2022 Judge Bryant practiced civil law for 21 years, primarily handling estate planning, probate, conservatorship, real estate and land use matters in Mariposa County.  Judge Bryant is a graduate of Mariposa County High School, University of California Davis, and University of California, Berkeley School of Law.  She regularly volunteers in the community, most recently at the high school Sober Grad party.  Judge Bryant founded and has organized the local “When You Turn 18” program since 2006, coordinating legal speakers to address high school seniors about how the law affects students when they turn 18.  She is a member of Soroptimist International of Mariposa and the American Association of University Women and previously served on the UC Merced Foundation Board of Trustees.  Since returning home in 2005, Judge Bryant has resided in Mariposa with her husband Tim and their two children.    

Judge Bryant states, “[a]s your Mariposa County Superior Court Judge, I will constantly strive to serve with the honesty, integrity, fairness, compassion and responsibility that this community instilled in me.   It is an honor, and I feel it is my calling, to serve Mariposa County.  I want to continue serving Mariposa County as best I can, ensuring fairness and equality in our justice system, and keeping our community safe. Thank you, Mariposa, for this opportunity.”

Source & photo:  Superior Court Judge Anita Starchman Bryant