Black Voice News Online - 1st Black Female Judge Appointed to Riverside County Superior Court

1st Black Female Judge Appointed to Riverside County Superior Court

Thursday, 19 April 2007

RIVERSIDE

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently announced the appointments of Irma Poole Asberry and Mark E. Petersen to judgeships in the Riverside County Superior Court.

Irma Poole Asberry

Asberry, 52, of Riverside, has been in private practice since 1988, with a primary emphasis in family law. Previously, she was a partner with the law firm of Butterwick & Bright from 1980 to 1988. Asberry earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of San Diego and a Bachelors of Science degree from the University of California, Riverside. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Thomas Douglass, Jr. Asberry is a Democrat.

Mark E. Petersen

Petersen, 45, of Chino Hills, has been a commissioner on the Riverside County Superior Court since September 2006. Prior to that, he was in private practice specializing in criminal law since 2005. He served as a deputy public defender for the Riverside County Public Defender's Office from 2000 to 2005. From 1987 to 2000, he was a civil litigator in private practice. Petersen earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Western State University College of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Long Beach. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Dennis McConaghy. Petersen is a Republican.

The compensation for each position is $171,648.