Judge David Hood greets those attending the event.
Judge David Hood hugs friends and family attending his swearing-in ceremony.
Judge David Hood is sworn in by Judge Jennifer Trimble.
The Honorable Judge David Hood was sworn into the Merced County Superior Court bench by Judge Jennifer O. Trimble during a ceremony held on Thursday, Aug. 24.
Prior to his appointment, Judge Hood served as a Legal Research Attorney at the Stanislaus County Superior Court since 2022. He also served as a Deputy County Counsel at the Merced County Counsel’s Office from 2019 to 2022, and as a Research Attorney for the Orange County Superior Court. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law.
“I received a lot of help from a lot of people throughout the whole process and I really appreciate it,” Hood said. “I’m very excited to be joining the bench and very blessed that I have been put in this position and I very much appreciate it.”
Hood is the 40th judge to be sworn into Merced Superior Court since 1855, according to Judge Brian McCabe, who addressed the audience during the ceremony. In addition, McCabe offered Hood some insight into his new role as a judge in today’s legal system.
“You’ll learn that every county in the State of California is terribly overwhelmed and under-resourced,” McCabe said. “They have metrics, and they all twist them to meet their needs, but the reality is that all 58 counties are short and they need more resources. They need more bench officers, and more staff, and a number of other things. We learn to deal with what we can, and it’s a team effort to move the number of cases that we have so that in the end there is access to justice, and justice is served. We try to do the best we can, and you’ll find everybody’s door is open at any time if you need to ask any questions or need assistance.”
Judge Hood joins nine other judges in Merced Superior Court, including Presiding Judge Mark Bacciarini, Assistant Presiding Judge Paul Lo, Judge Jennifer O. Trimble, Judge Steven K Slocum, Judge Carol K. Ash, Judge Brian McCabe, Judge Shelly A. Seymour, Judge Stephanie L. Jamieson, and Judge Donald Proietti.