Judge Richard T. Fields: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

The Hon. Richard T. Fields is an associate justice for the California Fourth District Court of Appeal (Division Two). He was appointed to the bench by former Governor Jerry Brown in 2016, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Jeffrey King.

Fields began his judicial career as a commissioner for the Riverside County Superior Court, a position to which he was elected in 1991. Then, in 2000, he was named judge for the Superior Court by former Governor Gray Davis, becoming the first African-American judge in the county. He sat as Presiding Judge of the Riverside County Superior Court from 2007 to 2008.

Before joining the bench, Fields served as a deputy public defender in the Riverside County Public Defender’s Office since 1985. From 1998 to 1990, he took a brief hiatus from the Public Defender’s Office, working as an attorney at the Law Offices of Reynolds, Bawden & Lawson.

Fields earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and Spanish from California State University, Fullerton in 1981. He then completed a J.D. at Western State College of Law (1983) and an LL.M. in taxation at the University of San Diego School of Law (1987).

He is a recipient of the Judge of the Year Award from the Southwest Bar Association (2007), the Judge of the Year Award from the American Board of Trial Advocates (2008), the Outstanding Jurist Award from the Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court (2009), the Alba Witkin Humanitarian Award from the California Judges Association (2013), and the Champions of Justice Award from the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County (2016).

He is registered as a Democrat.