Robert J. Sandoval (February 23, 1950 – February 28, 2006) was a judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Early life

Sandoval was born on February 23, 1950.Services Set for Superior Court Judge Robert Sandoval
''

Metropolitan News-Enterprise ''Metropolitan News-Enterprise'', also known as ''MetNews'' or ''Met News'', is a small daily legal newspaper published in Los Angeles, California. History The ''Enterprise'' newspaper was founded in 1901 and the ''Metropolitan News'' in 1945. ...

'' (March 6, 2006). He graduated from

San Gabriel High School San Gabriel High School (SGHS) is a public high school located in Los Angeles County, California and operated by the Alhambra Unified School District. It is almost entirely in the city limits of Alhambra with a small portion in the city limits of ...

and then received a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

degree in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

from

California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is a public university in Los Angeles, California. It is part of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system. Cal State LA offers 142 bachelor's degrees, 122 master's degrees, ...

in 1972.Elaine Woo
Obituaries: Robert J. Sandoval, 56; Openly Gay Judge, Ex-City Prosecutor
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' (March 6, 2006).Superior Court Judge Robert Sandoval Dies at 56
''

'' (March 1, 2006). He then attended the

McGeorge School of Law University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law is a private, American Bar Association (ABA)-approved law school in the Oak Park neighborhood of the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the University of the Pacific and is located on t ...

and earned his Juris Doctor in 1976.

Career

From 1984 to 1997, Sandoval served as a Los Angeles Municipal Court commissioner. In 1997, he was selected to serve as a Los Angeles County Superior Court commissioner. While a Superior Court commissioner, Sandoval presided over the high-profile lewd contact case against

Hugh Grant Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as both a charming, and vulnerable romantic lead and has since transitioned into a dramatic character actor. Among his numerous a ...

in 1995. On July 11, 1995, Sandoval sentenced Grant to two years

probation Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), such ...

and fined him $1,180.Carla Hall
Hugh Grant Gets Fine, Probation on Misdemeanor Couple
''

'' (July 12, 1995). Sandoval was appointed to the Los Angeles County Superior Court by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Gray Davis in 2001. Sandoval was the first openly gay judge appointed by Davis and believed to be the first openly gay judge appointed in California in 20 years. Sandoval served until his death in 2006.

Personal life

Sandoval and his long-time partner, Bill Martin, adopted a son in 1992, making them one of the first gay male couples in Los Angeles County to adopt a child. The couple named their son Harrison Martin-Sandoval, combining their last names to symbolize their familial unity. Sandoval died in 2006. After his death, his alma mater McGeorge School of Law honored his contributions by placing him on the Wall of Honor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sandoval, Robert J. 1950 births 2006 deaths 20th-century American judges 20th-century American LGBT people American gay men California state court judges California State University, Los Angeles alumni Hispanic and Latino American judges LGBT appointed officials in the United States LGBT Hispanic and Latino American people LGBT judges University of the Pacific (United States) alumni

Early life

Career

Personal life

See also

References