Profile of Maria D. Hernandez

Justice Maria Daghlian Hernandez was nominated to the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three, by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 18, 2026. She was rated “exceptionally well qualified” for the position by the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation of the State Bar of California. Her appointment was confirmed on October 9, 2026, by unanimous vote of the Commission on Judicial Appointments.

Prior to her appointment to the Court of Appeal, Justice Hernandez served as the Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge for the Orange County Superior Court from 2021 through 2025. Justice Hernandez served in multiple judicial assignments in the Orange County Superior Court since 2006, including as the Juvenile Court Presiding Judge from 2014 to 2018.

Justice Hernandez has been an active member of the legal community for over 35 years, advocating on behalf of the children, families and vulnerable populations. She leads numerous outreach efforts as a judicial officer, including the restructure and launch of the Orange County Superior Court’s Community Engagement and Outreach Program and remains a committed member to the Chief Justice’s Power of Democracy Steering Committee.

Justice Hernandez has been committed to the branch at the local, state, and national level with her most recent statewide work as a voting member of the Judicial Council since 2023. She was appointed by Chief Justice Guerrero as the chair of the statewide Judicial Council Technology Committee (JCTC) and served as the vice chair to the Judicial Branch Budget Committee (JBBC). Justice Hernandez has also served as faculty through the Judicial Council’s Center for Judicial Education since 2012.

Prior to her judicial appointment by Governor Schwarzenegger, Justice Hernandez worked as a senior deputy public defender for the Orange County Public Defender’s Office. She has served as an adjunct professor for Chapman Law and Western State College of Law. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Irvine in 1986 and Juris Doctor degree from Western State University in 1991.

Justice Hernandez has been recognized by several organizations for her commitment and leadership in the communities she serves, including the Distinguished Service Award presented by the Judicial Council of California in 2016. Justice Hernandez was also bestowed with the 2016 Diamond Award for her commitment in serving women and children in the movement to eradicate human trafficking. Justice Hernandez has been honored as Judge of the Year by several organizations, including the Judge Joan Dempsey Klein Award for her excellence in fostering diversity and equal opportunities in the legal profession. The California Probations Chiefs Association honored her with the Jurist of the Year in 2023. In 2025 and 2026, she was honored by both the Orange County-American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and Orange County Trial Lawyers Association (OCTLA).

Justice Hernandez and her husband have raised four children in Orange County and have the privilege of being grandparents to four grandchildren.