Biography
Sergio C. Tapia was appointed to the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in 2013 and currently serves as Presiding Judge, leading the largest trial court in the United States. He previously served as Assistant Presiding Judge, Supervising Judge of the Criminal Division, Assistant Supervising Judge of Criminal, and Assistant Supervising Judge of Limited Criminal Traffic.
Judge Tapia serves on the Judicial Council’s Trial Court Presiding Judges Advisory Committee and the Court Facilities Advisory Committee. His prior Judicial Council service includes the Advisory Committee on Providing Access and Fairness, the Traffic Advisory Committee, the Futures Traffic Working Group, and the Judicial Diversity Toolkit Working Group. He is also a member of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Judicial Selection Advisory Committee.
Before joining the bench, Judge Tapia was an AmeriCorps attorney with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, a Deputy Public Defender and Deputy Alternate Public Defender for Los Angeles County, and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Glendale University College of Law.
Throughout his career, Judge Tapia has been a frequent keynote speaker and panelist at judicial, bar association, educational, and community events. He has dedicated substantial time to mentoring students and supporting civic education programs, including Bell Gardens High School Teen Court, College Bound Today, and the Constitutional Rights Foundation (Teach Democracy).
He has also served in numerous leadership and advisory roles, including as a board member of the California Judges Association; President and board member of the California Latino Judges Association; Chair and board member of the Latino Judicial Officers Association of Los Angeles; founding board member of the Legal Education Access Pipeline; member of the Judicial Advisory Board of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers; member of the Mexican American Bar Association Board of Trustees; and member of the Board of Directors of California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc.
Born to Mexican immigrant parents, Judge Tapia was the first in his family to earn a college degree. He received bachelor’s degrees in Ethnic Studies and Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law. He is married to Superior Court Judge Rosa M. Fregoso.
