Contra Costa County Superior Court announces 2027-28 Presiding Judge, Assistant Presiding Judge

By Dan Radovich, ADA & Communications Officer, Contra Costa County Superior Court

MARTINEZ, Calif. – The Contra Costa County Superior Court today announced its judicial leadership for 2027-2028. The Honorable Joni T. Hiramoto, the Court’s current Assistant Presiding Judge, will become Presiding Judge, and the Honorable Benjamin T. Reyes II has been elected to serve as Assistant Presiding Judge. Their terms run from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2028. Judge Hiramoto will succeed the Honorable Christopher R. Bowen, whose term as Presiding Judge ends December 31, 2026.

Judge Hiramoto was appointed to the Contra Costa County Superior Court bench in 1998. She was the first Asian American judge to serve the Superior Court, and the first judge to preside over the Court’s Behavioral Health Court. Before serving as the Court’s Assistant Presiding Judge, she previously served as Supervising Judge of the Richmond Branch. Judge Hiramoto also currently serves as Dean of the Bernard E. Witkin Judicial College, which trains new judges statewide, and she received the California Judges Association’s Bernard S. Jefferson Award in 2024 for distinguished service in judicial education.

Judge Hiramoto earned her bachelor’s degree from Harvard-Radcliffe College and her Juris Doctor from the UC Berkeley School of Law. Before her appointment, she practiced litigation at McCutchen, Doyle, Brown & Enersen in San Francisco and was a branch chief in the Enforcement Division of the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

“The Court thanks Presiding Judge Bowen for his courageous, diligent and visionary leadership these past two years,” said Judge Hiramoto. “He leaves the Court in a far stronger state than he inherited. I owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for his inspirational guidance and practical support as I navigated serving as Assistant Presiding Judge. I am delighted by the election of Judge Reyes as Assistant Presiding Judge. He has been an inspiration to me ever since he joined the bench and I look forward to working together to serve the Court and our Contra Costa County community.”

Judge Reyes was appointed to the Contra Costa County Superior Court bench in 2017. He currently serves as Supervising Judge of the Civil Division, and he has previously served as Supervising Judge of the Family Law Division and Presiding Judge of the Civil Grand Jury. Judge Reyes was honored as Trial Judge of the Year by the Alameda-Contra Costa Trial Lawyers’ Association in 2022. He also teaches at the UC Berkeley School of Law and in the University of San Francisco School of Law’s Intensive Advocacy Program.

Judge Reyes earned his bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and his Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco School of Law. Before his appointment, he spent 24 years in public agency law, including 14 years as an equity principal at Meyers Nave, where he chaired the firm’s statewide public contracts practice group. While at the firm, he served as City Attorney for Pinole and Union City.

“I am deeply honored by my colleagues’ confidence in electing me as Assistant Presiding Judge of our Superior Court for 2027-2028,” said Judge Reyes. “Serving on the Court remains the greatest privilege of my professional life. I have the advantage of working with jurists who are dedicated to justice, collegiality, and who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the rule of law. Our Court’s strength lies in our collective commitment to excellence. I am committed to fostering an environment where, as independent judicial officers, every voice is heard, where collaboration thrives, and where we continue to uphold the highest standards of justice. I look forward to working with Presiding Judge Joni T. Hiramoto, CEO Sarah Lind and her team, and with our justice partners to ensure that we are consistently delivering an exceptional level of service to the people of Contra Costa County.”

Current Presiding Judge Christopher R. Bowen congratulated Judge Hiramoto and Judge Reyes on their new roles. “Judges Hiramoto and Reyes bring years of experience on the bench to the Court’s leadership,” said Presiding Judge Bowen. “Both of them have served in multiple divisions of our Court and have a keen sense of the Court’s strengths and areas for continued improvement. I am pleased that the Court will have such dynamic leaders in the coming years.” The Court thanks Presiding Judge Bowen for his leadership, his commitment to excellence, and his dedicated service to the Court and the people of Contra Costa County during his 2025-2026 term.

The Presiding Judge is responsible for leading the Court, establishing policies and allocating resources. The Presiding Judge’s duties include making judicial assignments, overseeing the Court’s budget, and serving as the Court’s spokesperson. The Assistant Presiding Judge supports the Presiding Judge in these responsibilities and helps ensure an orderly transition of leadership.

For more information about Contra Costa County Superior Court visit Home | Superior Court of California | County of Contra Costa.