Judge Patrick J. Mahoney Announces Retirement

Judge Patrick J. Mahoney, who has presided over San Francisco's Dependency Drug Court since October 2011, will retire at the end of this month. The DDC Team thanks him for his leadership and commitment.

San Francisco Superior Court Press Release

RELEASE DATE: January 3, 2013
JUDGE PATRICK J. MAHONEY ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM SF BENCH
Supervising Judge of Unified Family Court to Retire After Nearly 13 Years on the Bench


Judge Patrick J. Mahoney, a veteran member of the San Francisco Superior Court bench who has served in numerous leadership positions at the Court, will retire effective January 18, 2013.

A member of the Court’s Executive Committee for 10 years, Judge Mahoney most recently has served as the Supervising Judge of the Unified Family Court since 2010. On the statewide level, Judge Mahoney has been a member of the Judicial Council of California Juvenile Justice Education Committee and has been a frequent lecturer on a broad range of topics. During his judicial career, Judge Mahoney presided in the civil Law & Motion department, and served as the presiding judge of the Juvenile Division. He also presided over felony and misdemeanor trials and preliminary hearings in the Criminal Division.

“It has been rewarding for me to serve the citizens of the City & County of San Francisco for nearly 13 years,” Judge Mahoney said. “I am especially proud of the contribution I have made in the area of helping families and children in crisis. It has been an honor to serve with so many dedicated and experienced jurists in San Francisco.”

Prior to his March 2000 appointment to the bench, Judge Mahoney had amassed more than 30 years of complex civil litigation experience. He served as the Chief Trial Deputy of the City & County of San Francisco from 1992 to 2000 where he oversaw San Francisco’s civil litigation. He was the lead trial counsel in several major cases, including the recovery of nearly $200 million for cities and counties in California.

Before entering public service, Judge Mahoney headed the securities litigation group at the San Francisco law firm of Cooley LLP, where he also was vice chair of the litigation department and a member of the firm’s management committee. He joined the firm in 1972 after beginning his law career in 1969 in Washington, D.C., where he specialized in antitrust litigation.

Judge Mahoney has been an active participant in community affairs, having served on the boards of the Legal Aid Society of San Francisco, the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative, Legal Community Against Violence, the Association of Business Trial Lawyers and College Preparatory School.

A graduate of Stanford University who was a Coro Foundation Fellow in public affairs, Judge Mahoney received his J.D. degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Judge Mahoney’s retirement leaves six vacancies on the 52-member San Francisco Superior Court bench.