Stephen Foley Sworn In as Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge

At 3:30 p.m., [Friday] afternoon, Presiding Judge Gustavo E. Lavayen administered the oath of office to Stephen Foley, the newest member of the Santa Barbara Superior Court Bench. The event [occurred] in Dept. 9 of the Superior Court in Santa Maria, CA.

Governor Newsom made the appointment earlier [Friday]. Stephen P. Foley, 51, of Los Olivos, has been appointed to serve in an interim appointment as a Judge in the Santa Barbara County Superior Court. Foley has served as a Commissioner at the Santa Barbara County Superior Court since 2018. He served as Supervising Deputy District Attorney at the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office from 2004 to 2018 and was an Instructor at Allan Hancock Community College from 2005 to 2018.

Foley served in several positions at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office from 1996 to 2004, including Senior Deputy District Attorney and Deputy District Attorney. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge James Voysey. The Governor’s appointment allows him to immediately assume the position he was otherwise elected to begin in January 2023.

Presiding Judge Lavayen noted, “Stephen Foley has served admirably as a Commissioner of this Court, demonstrating a passion for his work and compassion for those who appear before him. I congratulate him on the appointment and look forward working with him in this new capacity!”