Judge Dana B. Simonds: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

Sonoma County Superior Court, Department 18

CA Bar #: 127582 (June 1987)

Appointed By: Gov. Arnold A. Schwarzenegger

Biography

The Hon. Dana B. Simonds is a judge for the Superior Court of Sonoma County in California. She was appointed to the bench by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in June 2007, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Raymond J. Giordano.

Simonds earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She then completed a J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.

She began her legal career as a law clerk for the Hon. William Bettinelli (Ret.) of the Superior Court of Sonoma County in 1985. She then worked in a private law firm in Walnut Creek for one year, quickly leaving for one year of service in the Office of the District Attorney of Contra Costa County.

After returning to Sonoma County, Simonds joined O’Brien, Watters, Davis, Malisch & Piasta. During her tenure there, she handled insurance defense cases and represented clients in business disputes, eventually rising to partner. Then, in 1996, she moved to Shapiro, Galvin, Shapiro, Piasta & Morgan, where she specialized in employment, contract, and elder abuse cases.

She has served on the Board of the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County, and she has chaired the Sweetheart Ball Committee.

Simonds was born in Boston, Massachusetts and raised in Berkeley, California.

When she is not presiding over cases, she can be found coaching youth soccer. She has also been a volunteer for Canine Companions as well as an active supporter of the Community Action Partnership 20 Women Committee, which raises funds for the Roseland Children’s Health Center.

Simonds is registered as a Republican.

Recent Cases by Hon. Dana B. Simonds

Graton Church of Christ, Incorporated vs Pacific Christian Academy (PCA)

On February 19, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

3 Files

Filed

Feb 19, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Property

Matter Type

General Property

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 20, 2026

Matter of Jovani M Araiza

On February 17, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Feb 17, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Probate

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Probate

Matter Type

General Probate

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 19, 2026

Petition of Robert Gravert

On February 13, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Feb 13, 2026

Status

Other

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Family

Matter Type

Name Change

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 16, 2026

Petition of Seanay Quinn

On February 11, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Feb 11, 2026

Status

Other

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Family

Matter Type

Name Change

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 21, 2026

Countryside MHP, LLC vs City of Cotati

On February 11, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

3 Files

Filed

Feb 11, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Administrative

Matter Type

Writs

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 18, 2026

Petition of Andrey Boersma

On February 9, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Feb 09, 2026

Status

Other

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Family

Matter Type

Name Change

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 09, 2026

Petition of Tatyana Bennett

On February 6, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Feb 06, 2026

Status

Other

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Family

Matter Type

Name Change

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 07, 2026

Petition of Denise Brown

On February 3, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Feb 03, 2026

Status

Other

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Family

Matter Type

Name Change

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 03, 2026

Barton vs Recology, Inc.

On February 2, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Feb 02, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Torts

Matter Type

General Torts

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 19, 2026

BARAJAS vs POZZI

On February 2, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Feb 02, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Torts

Matter Type

Automobile

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 19, 2026

CORTES RUIZ vs DE LA ROSA

On January 30, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

1 File

Filed

Jan 30, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Labor and Employment

Matter Type

Wrongful Termination

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 19, 2026

Morones vs Goodfellow

On January 29, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Jan 29, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Commercial

Matter Type

Breach of Contract

Case Last Refreshed

Jan 29, 2026

CABEZAS MEZA vs HIRED HANDS, INC.

On January 29, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Jan 29, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Labor and Employment

Matter Type

General Employment

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 18, 2026

Petition of Flor Silva Guadarrama

On January 29, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Jan 29, 2026

Status

Other

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Family

Matter Type

Name Change

Case Last Refreshed

Jan 29, 2026

Petition of Manuel De La Cruz,Rebecca Saldana Lomos

On January 28, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Jan 28, 2026

Status

Other

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Family

Matter Type

Name Change

Case Last Refreshed

Jan 29, 2026

Pok vs Goldsmith

On January 28, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Jan 28, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Torts

Matter Type

Automobile

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 14, 2026

Five Stars Construction Solutions, Inc. vs Duran Reyes

On January 27, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Jan 27, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Commercial

Matter Type

Breach of Contract

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 11, 2026

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. vs Burke

On January 27, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Jan 27, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Creditor

Matter Type

Collections

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 11, 2026

Capital One, N.A. vs Ibarguen

On January 27, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Jan 27, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Creditor

Matter Type

Collections

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 11, 2026

LVNV Funding LLC vs King

On January 26, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Jan 26, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Creditor

Matter Type

Collections

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 10, 2026

Crown Asset Management, LLC vs Rojas

On January 26, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Jan 26, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Creditor

Matter Type

Collections

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 11, 2026

Barclays Bank Delaware vs Calcara

On January 26, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Jan 26, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Creditor

Matter Type

Collections

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 10, 2026

Bank Of America, N.a. vs Bertran

On January 26, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Jan 26, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Creditor

Matter Type

Collections

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 10, 2026

Braden vs Anderson

On January 26, 2026 a case was filed in the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. Judge Dana B. Simonds presiding.

Filed

Jan 26, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. Dana B. Simonds 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for Dana B. Simonds

Court

Civil

County

Sonoma County, CA

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Practice Area

Torts

Matter Type

General Torts

Case Last Refreshed

Feb 11, 2026

Discover if Hon. Simonds is the right judge for your case based on their ruling history.

View Analytics Dashboard

About

Dana B. Simonds
Current Appointment Sonoma County Superior Court, Department 18	Sonoma County Superior Court, Department 18
Education J.D., University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law Bachelor's degree, University of California, Berkeley	J.D., University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law Bachelor's degree, University of California, Berkeley

Documents related to Dana B. Simonds

Court Info

Court Info
Current Court:	CA - Sonoma County Superior Court
Clerk phone:	+1 (707) 521-6726

Career History

Career History
Role	Employer	Where
Judge	Superior Court of California	Sonoma County, California
Partner	Shapiro, Galvin, Shapiro, Piasta & Morgan	Sonoma County, California
Partner	O’Brien, Watters, Davis, Malisch & Piasta	Sonoma County, California
Deputy District Attorney	Office of the District Attorney	Contra Costa County, California
Attorney	Private Practice	Contra Costa County, California
Law Clerk	Superior Court of California	Sonoma County, California