Judge Raymonda B. Marquez

Judge of the Kern County Superior Court (Bakersfield), currently sitting in the Metropolitan Division’s Family Law department.
Education: B.A. in History of Public Policy from UC Santa Barbara; J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law.
Early career: Joined the Kern County Public Defender’s office in 1997 (the first woman to serve as a public defender in Kern) and later practiced criminal defense at Burnham & Winkler.
Judicial service: Became a Superior Court judge around 2010–2011. She has been retained in office by election; most recently she won re-election in June 2022 (unopposed), and her term runs through January 2029.
Court assignment: Handles family law, custody, domestic violence and related juvenile cases in Division D of the Justice Building. She also presides over adoption finalizations, dependency hearings, and other child welfare matters.
Notable cases: Oversees juvenile and family law cases. For example, in the appellate cases People v. Ali R. (2015) and Joshua M. v. Kern County (2021), the California Fifth District Court of Appeal affirmed her rulings at the trial level.
Community involvement: Active in child- and family-oriented programs. She frequently officiates at the county’s Adoption Day ceremonies, speaks at youth empowerment and school events, and participates in veteran and homeless court programs. Judge Marquez has organized Habitat for Humanity build days, supported human-trafficking prevention groups, and served on boards advocating for children’s welfare and veterans.
Reputation and ethics: Known for compassion and dedication to families, children and veterans, she is regarded as a servant leader in the community. There are no public records of any judicial discipline. (A pro se complaint filed in 2024 by a litigant alleged various misconduct, but no official sanctions resulted.)

Education and Early Career

Raymonda Marquez earned her Bachelor of Arts in History of Public Policy from UC Santa Barbara (starting college at age 26) and then served in a California State Senate fellowship in Sacramento, assisting state legislators. She later completed her Juris Doctor at Santa Clara University School of Law, focusing on public interest law. After law school, Marquez returned to Kern County to join the Public Defender’s office in 1997. She built a reputation as a skilled trial attorney and in 2003 became the first female Deputy Public Defender in Kern. In private practice she continued as a criminal defense lawyer at the Burnham & Winkler firm until about 2008.

Judicial Appointment and Elections

Kern County Superior Court judges are selected via nonpartisan elections (or gubernatorial appointment to fill vacancies). Raymonda Marquez took the bench around 2010–2011. Since then she has continued in office by winning retention elections on the county ballot. In the most recent election cycle, Marquez was listed on the June 2022 ballot as an incumbent judge running unopposed, effectively securing another six-year term (beginning January 2023 and expiring in January 2029). Her elevation to the bench made her the first woman with a public defender/criminal defense background to serve as a judge in Kern County.

Court Assignment and Responsibilities

Judge Marquez is assigned to Family Law in the Bakersfield Justice Building (Metropolitan Division). In that role she handles the full range of family and juvenile matters: divorce and custody cases, domestic violence restraining orders, child support, guardianships, adoptions, and abuse/neglect (dependency) matters involving minors. She regularly presides over welfare-and-institutions dependency proceedings (such as hearings to terminate parental rights) and oversees adoption finalization ceremonies when foster care adoptions become permanent. On the juvenile side, she may preside over probation cases (depending on assignments) and guardianship issues. In the domestic violence and family law context, her duties include managing court calendars and making rulings on evidence and orders affecting family safety and child welfare.

Notable Cases and Rulings

While most of Marquez’s work is in trial proceedings that do not make appellate headlines, her decisions in several family and juvenile law cases have been reviewed by higher courts. In People v. Ali R. (2015), a juvenile court robbery case, Marquez presided over the dispositional hearing; the Fifth District Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment against the defendant. Similarly, in Joshua M. v. Kern County (2021), a dependency case involving child welfare and reunification rights, the appellate court denied the petition for extraordinary relief, effectively upholding Marquez’s trial ruling. In practice, she has handled many cases involving complex child safety issues (including high-profile dependency hearings after serious child injuries or fatalities) and family law disputes. She has also played a central role in finalizing adoptions, often appearing on news and social media during annual “Adoption Day” events when foster children are legally joined with adoptive families.

Community Involvement and Leadership

Judge Marquez is widely active in community outreach related to her court work. She serves on boards and panels that support children in foster care, human-trafficking prevention, and Latino youth leadership. As a judge, she frequently mentors and speaks at events for high school and college students, emphasizing education and civic engagement. Marquez is also deeply involved with veterans and the homeless: she volunteers in Kern County’s Veterans Treatment Court and Homeless Court, where participants address legal issues through service. For example, she has organized Habitat for Humanity builds, soup kitchen service days, and outreach “Stand Down” events for veterans alongside other judges and attorneys. Her commitment to service has been recognized by local nonprofits (she was a honoree in Garden Pathways’ “Women with a Heart for Bakersfield” program and is a recipient of community leadership awards), reflecting her role as a leader promoting family unity and public service beyond the courtroom.

Public Reputation and Ethics Record

Within the legal community, Raymonda Marquez is regarded as a fair, compassionate judge who brings energy to family and juvenile courts. Colleagues and local media describe her as detail-oriented and caring toward underserved litigants, especially families and youth. As of 2025, there is no public evidence of any disciplinary action against her. A self-styled complaint circulated online in 2024 by a pro se litigant alleged she engaged in various improprieties (issuing an overly broad gag order, etc.), but there has been no official sanction from the Commission on Judicial Performance or any other authority. In short, Marquez maintains a good standing on the bench. Her overall reputation highlights her dedication to community outreach and to improving the family justice system in Kern County, while adhering to judicial ethics and professionalism in the courtroom.