Biography

The Hon. Jorge C. Hernandez is a judge for the Riverside County Superior Court in California. He was appointed to the bench by former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2008. He filled the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Morgan Dougherty (Ret.).

He is a registered Democrat.

Judge Hernandez received his B.A. from the University of California, Riverside in 1986. He went on to earn his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1989.

Hernandez clerked for the Riverside County Public Defender's Office before accepting a full-time position there as a deputy public defender in 1989.

Five years later, Hernandez entered into private practice, where he worked as an attorney for the Conflict Defense Panel from 1994 to 2002 and for the Conflict Defense Lawyers from 2002 until his appointment to the bench in 2008. Hernandez was certified by the California State Bar as a Criminal Law Specialist.

While on the bench, Judge Hernandez has presided over a master calendar and criminal trials calendar.

Hernandez has served as an instructor at Riverside City College and Mt. San Jacinto College. He has also been a motivational speaker.

Judge Hernandez, who is a car enthusiast, enjoys restoring old cars and attending car shows with his wife, Veronica. They have four grown sons.