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# SM judge promoted to federal status
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/sm-judge-promoted-to-federal-status/
- Published: 2007-02-07T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T00:00:53.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Crime, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless

*Farmers’ Market cases to transfer to new judge*

SM COURTHOUSE The Santa Monica Superior Court judge presiding over the Farmers’ Market civil cases has been promoted to the federal level, receiving confirmation from the U.S. Senate last week.

Judge Valerie Baker, nominated by President Bush in May 2005, will serve as a U.S. District Court judge for the Central District of California, where she will fill a vacancy created in October of 2005 when Judge Consuelo B. Marshall took senior status, federal officials said.

Baker will continue to hear any motions on the Farmers’ Market case — set for trial in May — until she is transferred to the federal level, which could come as early as the next few weeks. The case will then be transferred to her successor.

“Since I started practicing as a lawyer more than 30 years ago, I had always viewed the position of a U.S. District Court judge to be the best assignment I could have in the legal profession, so this is really a dream come true,” Baker said of her confirmation. “That said... I loved being a superior court judge. That has been a tremendous privilege.”

The U.S. District Court for the Central District is the nation’s busiest federal court, serving seven of Southern California’s most populous counties. The court, which hears cases in Los Angeles, Santa Ana and Riverside, has 28 judgeships and three additional vacancies, according to David Madden, a spokesman for the office of the circuit executive.

For the last two years, Baker has been at the center of the Farmers’ Market lawsuit involving more than 40 victims and their families. They are suing City Hall, Bayside District Corp. and driver George Russell Weller, who was convicted in October 2006 of 10 counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence after driving his car through the crowded open-air market on Arizona Avenue on July 16, 2003\. Weller’s ride through the marketplace left 10 people dead and more than 65 others injured.

The case was recently transferred to Downtown LA for trial, but Baker’s courtroom — Department L — is still in charge of hearing all motions filed. Trial has been set for May 11.

Attorneys for both sides have expressed some concern about Baker’s confirmation, considering the complicated nature of the case and Baker’s familiarity with the factors involved. For the most part, however, they seemed confident that whomever replaces Baker will be able to pick up where she left off.

“Judge Baker is a very thoughtful, capable judge who has given a lot of time and consideration to the cases before her,” said Geoff Wells, an attorney for the plaintiffs, during an interview prior to Baker’s confirmation. “She is going to make an excellent federal judge. As for the Farmers’ Market matter, I’m sure that the presiding judge will select someone who is more than capable of handling the case and will be able to familiarize themselves fairly quickly.”

Baker’s latest, and possibly last, ruling on the case came in January, when she denied a request by City Hall to be excused from the case on the grounds that it should not be held liable for the accident given that it had executed a previously approved traffic management plan to ensure safety. Attorneys for the victims argued that because of City Hall’s relationship to Bayside, which helps manage and promote the downtown district, a jury must decide if City Hall is vicariously liable.

Under an agreement between Bayside and City Hall, if the management company is found guilty, City Hall would be required to foot the bill. City Hall has an insurance policy valued at $20 million, while Bayside’s insurance could cover an additional $2 million.

A jury may assess damages higher than the $22 million, Wells said, which could force City Hall to settle out of fear of paying more.

SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY While the Farmers’ Market case has attracted media attention because of the nature of the crash and the number of victims, Baker, whom colleagues described as a “workaholic,” said she has given it the same weight as she does any other case she has handled throughout her career.

“You know, over the 21 years I’ve been sitting as a judge, I’ve tried a variety of cases and I cannot say that one has been more interesting than another,” Baker said. “Every case — whether it be civil, criminal, complex, straightforward — they have all engaged me and I’ve always felt it was an honor to address each one. I’ve enjoyed every case.

“I love my job and am sure I will continue to love it at the next level.”

A native of Minneapolis, Baker earned a bachelor’s degree in 1971 and a master’s degree the following year from UC Santa Barbara. In 1975, she earned a law degree from UCLA, where she was book review editor of the UCLA Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Honors Program.

Baker has served as a judge for the state courts since 1986, when she was appointed to the municipal court bench in Los Angeles. She became a judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 1987\. In addition, she temporarily sat on the state’s Second District Court of Appeal, Division III, from 1987 to 1988\. She transferred to Santa Monica seven years ago.

“I love Santa Monica,” Baker said, alluding to the unseasonably warm weather of late. “We have a wonderful courthouse with some very intelligent and talented judges who are my colleagues and my friends. I will miss them very much.”

Prior to coming to the bench, Baker was in private practice with a pair of Los Angeles law firms, specializing in federal civil litigation. She also served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the criminal division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles.

In 1994, she was named the Alfred J. McCourtney “Trial Judge of the Year” by the Consumer Lawyers of Los Angeles.

Outside the court, she has served on the board of directors for both the Braille Institute and My Friends Place, a shelter for homeless teens in Los Angeles.

“Judge Baker has been a tremendous asset to the court and I will miss her both professionally and personally,” said Linda K. Lefkowitz, supervising judge for Santa Monica, who must now find a replacement for Baker. “She is a hard worker, very intelligent and a dedicated judge who has shown great care in her work.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 7, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/020707.pdf?ref=smdp.com)