News Release
San Bernardino Superior Court Elects New Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge
News release
Release Date: September 19, 2025
SAN BERNARDINO SUPERIOR COURT ELECTS NEW PRESIDING JUDGE AND ASSISTANT PRESIDING JUDGE
SAN BERNARDINO, CA—Judge Rodney A. Cortez has been elected to serve as Presiding Judge of the San Bernardino Superior Court starting on January 1, 2026. Judge Cortez currently serves as the Assistant Presiding Judge. He will succeed the current Presiding Judge Lisa M. Rogan, who concludes her term of office on December 31, 2025.
Judge Cortez will lead the San Bernardino Superior Court in the oversight and management of the court, including 103 judicial officers and approximately 1200 employees, and a court budget of $209 million. In this task, Judge Cortez will work closely with the Judges’ Executive Committee and Court Executive Officer, Anabel Romero. Judge Cortez has been active in various leadership roles within the court, including Supervising Judge of the Joshua Tree Court and the San Bernardino Justice Center Criminal Division. He currently serves as Chair of the Budget Committee, where he led efforts to improve access to justice for county-wide services, programs, and staffing. Judge Cortez was appointed to the Court in 2006. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Cortez served as a Deputy District Attorney for the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office and as an Associate with Tuverson and Hillyard. Judge Cortez received his Juris Doctorate Degree from the J. Ruben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University.
Judge Kyle Brodie has been elected by the San Bernardino Superior Court judges to serve as the Assistant Presiding Judge commencing January 1, 2026. Judge Brodie was appointed to the Court in 2006. He is currently assigned to the Fontana Court, where he presides over Landlord-Tenant and Small Claims cases. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Brodie worked as a Deputy Attorney General with the California Attorney General’s Office. He received his Juris Doctorate degree from Southwestern Law School.
For media inquiries, contact the Communications and Public Information Office via courts-pio@sb-court.org