The Honorable Brett H. Morgan

Biography

The Hon. Brett H. Morgan is a judge for the San Joaquin County Superior Court in California. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2010. He filled the vacancy created by the elevation of the Hon. William J. Murray, Jr. to the Third District Court of Appeal.

Morgan is a registered Republican.

He graduated with his B.S. in social sciences from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 1984. He went on to earn his J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 1988.

Morgan began his legal career in private practice. While in law school, he clerked at the Law Office of James W. Lewis, and after graduating, he practiced there briefly as an associate.

In 1989, Morgan became a deputy district attorney with the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office. During his ten years with the D.A.'s office, he served as the head of the Child Abduction Recovery Team and was also part of an investigative team tasked with recovering children from all over the U.S. and abroad who had been abducted. He left the D.A.'s office in 1999 to join the California Department of Justice's Office of the Attorney General. In his role as deputy attorney general, Morgan was responsible for litigating criminal appeals, writs, and superior court cases on behalf of the People in the Court of Appeal for varying districts. He also served as a representative of the A.G.'s office on California's DNA Task Force. After five years there, Morgan then joined the Office of the Inspector General in 2004. He would serve as their chief deputy inspector general until 2008. It was at that time that Morgan was appointed to serve as chief of staff for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where he was responsible for implementing policy as well as overseeing the entire operation of the Department. Morgan remained in that position until his appointment to the bench in 2010.

While on the bench, Judge Morgan has been assigned to various collaborative courts which have included the Drug Court, the Parole Re-Entry Court, and the Accountability Court. He has also presided over a Juvenile Delinquency calendar.

In his free time, Judge Morgan enjoys traveling abroad. He also enjoys running and spending time in the gym.