The Hon. Candace S. Heidelberger is a judge for the Nevada County Superior Court in California. She was appointed to the bench by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2007. She filled the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Albert Dover (Ret.).
She is a registered Republican.
Judge Heidelberger received her J.D. from Lincoln Law School in Sacramento, graduating at the top of her class in 1994.
After graduating from law school, she began practicing alongside her husband, Bill Heidelberger, at their law firm Heidelberger and Heidelberger. While there, she handled a wide range of cases including family, civil, and criminal law, as well as probate, guardianships, conservatorships, and juvenile delinquency and dependency cases.
Then, in 1996, she became a panel attorney for the Central California Appellate Program, where she was appointed to represent indigent individuals in their appeals. She would continue in this position until her appointment to the bench.
While still maintaining her position as a panel attorney, Heidelberger took a position as a deputy public defender with the Placer County Public Defender's Office in 1997, where she would handle juvenile delinquency cases until 2002.
After leaving the P.D.'s office, she then entered into private practice where she served as a contract attorney for Placer County, during which time she represented indigent parents and children involved in juvenile dependency proceedings. She also concurrently worked with the Nevada County Public Defender's Office in the same capacity. In 2004, she became a contract attorney for the Nevada County Courts. She would also continue in these positions until her appointment to the bench in 2007.
During her tenure on the Superior Court, Judge Heidelberger has served as the Assistant Presiding Judge of the Court (2010 to 2012) and the Presiding Judge of the Court (2013 to 2015). She became the Presiding Juvenile Judge in 2013 and has also presided over both the Adult Drug and Proposition 36 Courts.
She has served as a trustee of the Nevada County Law Library since 2008.