Judge Frank Ochoa '75 Honored as 'Hero for Justice'
Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Frank Ochoa '75 was honored at the Richard Goldman Heroes for Justice Awards Dinner in Santa Barbara on May 14. The event was organized by the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County.
Judge Ochoa served as the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County from 1980-1983. At 32, he was appointed to the Municipal Court, the youngest judge in the state at the time and the court's first Hispanic judge in that century. He was elected to the Superior Court in 1996. Judge Ochoa is credited with starting two successful adult drug court programs, a Juvenile Drug Court and the Court Administered Appropriate Dispute Resolution program (CADRe).