--- title: "Denise Hippach | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/denise-hippach" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Denise Hippach California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District · Associate Justice ## Profile - Court: California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District - State: California - Role: Associate Justice - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-28 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Associate Justice, California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Six, 2026-present - Hippach has been Senior Deputy County Counsel at the Santa Barbara County Counsel’s Office since 2018 - Associate Justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Six, appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom in August 2026, with confirmation by the Commission on - Associate Justice, Division Six of the California Second District Court of Appeal, a position she was nominated for on August 7, 2026, to fill the vacancy created by Justice Tari Cody’s elevation to Presiding Justice Cal Coast News - Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, 2022-2026 - Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge — Appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 7, 2022, replacing retiring Judge Jim Herman The Santa Barbara Independent - In 2022, Hippach became the first African-American Superior Court judge in Santa Barbara County, marking a milestone in the county’s judicial history The Santa Barbara Independent - 2018–2022: Senior Deputy County Counsel, Santa Barbara County - Deputy Attorney General at the Idaho Attorney General’s Office from 2016 to 2018 - 2015–2018: Deputy Attorney General, Idaho Attorney General’s Office - Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, Canyon County, Idaho (2015–2016) California Governor - Deputy County Counsel, Los Angeles County (2008–2014) Daily Journal - Deputy County Counsel at the Los Angeles County Counsel’s Office from 2008 to 2014, Staff Attorney for Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers from 2007 to 2008 and Deputy District Attorney at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office from 2004 to 2006 - Deputy District Attorney, Riverside County (2004–2006) Daily Journal - Denise Hippach, 46, of Grover Beach, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Santa Barbara County Superior Court - The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, which includes Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and Senior Presiding Justice Francis Rothschild California Governor ### Education - University of Southern California Gould School of Law — J.D. ### Additional information - Panel Attorney, California Appellate Project, Appellate Defenders Inc. (2014–2018) Daily Journal. - Staff Attorney, Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers (2007–2008) Daily Journal. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### audiovisual evidence Scope: statewide A party offering an electronic sound or sound-and-video recording must provide the court and opposing parties a transcript and provide opposing parties a duplicate of the recording. Evidence excerpt: the party must provide to the court and to opposing parties a transcript of the electronic recording and provide opposing parties with a duplicate of the electronic recording [California Rule 2.1040, Electronic recordings presented or offered into evidence](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/two/rule2_1040) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote proceedings Scope: statewide California courts should permit remote participation in covered civil proceedings, subject to the statute, local rules, and controlling orders. Evidence excerpt: courts should permit parties to appear remotely at conferences, hearings, and proceedings in civil cases consistent with Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75 [California Rule 3.672, Remote proceedings](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_672) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote participants and witnesses Scope: statewide Covered civil parties and witnesses may appear remotely, and the court may conduct proceedings in whole or in part using remote technology. Evidence excerpt: that party or witness may appear remotely and the court may conduct conferences, hearings, and proceedings, in whole or in part, through the use of remote technology [California Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=367.75.&lawCode=CCP) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### recording and broadcasting Scope: statewide Court proceedings may not be photographed, recorded, or broadcast except as Rule 1.150 permits. Evidence excerpt: Except as provided in this rule, court proceedings may not be photographed, recorded, or broadcast. [California Rule 1.150, Photographing, recording, and broadcasting in court](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/one/rule1_150) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### expedited jury trial presentations Scope: statewide In expedited jury trials, parties may use slides, electronic presentations, projections, exhibit notebooks, and other methods approved at the pretrial conference. Evidence excerpt: the parties may present summaries and may use photographs, diagrams, slides, electronic presentations, overhead projections, individual notebooks of exhibits for submission to the jurors, or other innovative methods of presentation approved at the pretrial conference [California Rule 3.1551, Case presentation](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1551) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### expedited jury trial pretrial agreements Scope: statewide Voluntary expedited jury trial submissions must identify party agreements concerning electronic presentations and other proposed presentation methods. Evidence excerpt: Any agreements of the parties to use photographs, diagrams, slides, electronic presentations, overhead projections, notebooks of exhibits, or other methods of presenting information to the jury [California Rule 3.1548, Pretrial submissions for voluntary expedited jury trials](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1548) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### exhibit admission Scope: statewide An exhibit must be admitted by the judge before it may be used in the case. Evidence excerpt: The judge must to allow you to admit the exhibit as evidence in order for you to use it in your case. [How to introduce exhibits at a trial](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/how-introduce-exhibits-trial) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://courts.ca.gov/courts/superior-courts/judges-roster) - [Official roster](https://courts.ca.gov/courts/superior-courts/judges-roster) - [Judicial Branch of California official judicial roster](https://courts.ca.gov/courts/superior-courts/judges-roster) - [California Rule 2.1040, Electronic recordings presented or offered into evidence](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/two/rule2_1040) - [California Rule 3.672, Remote proceedings](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_672) - [California Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=367.75.&lawCode=CCP) - [California Rule 1.150, Photographing, recording, and broadcasting in court](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/one/rule1_150) - [California Rule 3.1551, Case presentation](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1551) - [California Rule 3.1548, Pretrial submissions for voluntary expedited jury trials](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1548) - [How to introduce exhibits at a trial](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/how-introduce-exhibits-trial) - [Governor Newsom Announces Judicial Appointments 10.7.22](https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/10/07/governor-newsom-announces-judicial-appointments-10-7-22/) - [Commission Confirms Four Appointments to Courts of Appeal](https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/commission-confirms-four-appointments-courts-appeal-1) - [Governor Newsom Announces Judicial Appointments 10.7.22](https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/10/07/governor-newsom-announces-judicial-appointments-10-7-22/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/denise-hippach", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/denise-hippach", "name": "Denise Hippach | KnowJudges", "description": "Denise Hippach, California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-07", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/denise-hippach#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/denise-hippach#judge", "name": "Denise Hippach", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/denise-hippach", "jobTitle": "Associate Justice", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District" }, "sameAs": [ "https://courts.ca.gov/courts/superior-courts/judges-roster" ], "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of Southern California School of Law" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of Southern California Gould School of Law" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "California", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/california" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Denise Hippach", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/denise-hippach" } ] } ] } ``` ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [California Rule 1.150, Photographing, recording, and broadcasting in court](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-e59897426ff892cfcd8e0103) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/one/rule1_150). Collected 2026-07-26.